


The Child’s Keeper: A Mandalorian FanFiction

by writer_rach



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:35:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 72,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28203216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writer_rach/pseuds/writer_rach
Summary: Since the young age of 9, Lys has known nothing but chains, whips, and the submissive nature of slavery. For years, she has kept her mouth shut, her head down, and her eyes searching.Searching for an opportunity to be more than what she has become, to love someone, to care for another, and to travel the galaxy to have revenge on those who have harmed her.When she is bought to become a keeper of a small, green child, little does she know that these dreams are about to be a reality.DinxOC NOT READER. Tagged for wider audience.
Relationships: Din Djarin & Original Female Character(s), Din Djarin & Reader, Din Djarin & You, Din Djarin/Original Female Character(s), Din Djarin/Reader, Din Djarin/You
Comments: 63
Kudos: 245





	1. Episode 1: The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This work will follow the events in the TV show: The Mandalorian. All events and plots belong to LucasFilm and Disney besides the ones linked with Lys herself.

Lys' eyes were blinded by the bright light of the hot sun overhead, her arms still clasped together by the cuffs. She was thankful for the cover she had been given in the form of an old, dirty scarf, shrouding her skin just enough that the burn of the sun didn't hurt her too badly.

She trudged along, following the groups of people who were being herded towards the slave market. Lys kept her head down, knowing better than to speak or move in the wrong way. She had been through a few of these days, transferred from one buyer to another, auctioned off like nothing more than a piece of dirt. But most of the time, she was used in gambling, and with each loss, she was moved once more.

Lys was moved out of the sun and down into a cell with a handful of other women. She noticed a few women carrying infants, and she looked away, knowing that they were not products of a happy family.

Suddenly, one of them began to wail, and its mother tried to hush it by placing it at her breast, but it did not take. Lys realized that the woman was too weak and small to have produced milk, and she hesitated.

She had seen women killed in front of her for not being able to calm their own children, and she did not want that same fate for this woman.

"QUIET! The buyers are about to come through here," A guard's whip thrashed against the bars, just barely clipping the woman's shoulder, causing her to tumble to the ground, the infant wailing even louder now. 

No one else seemed to want to help them, and so Lys finally made a move. She could see that the buyers were rounding the corner, and she went over, helping the woman stand, and taking the child from her.

She pulled the child up against her chest, quieting it, taking deep breaths so that it could feel the calm that she exuded. All the while, she looked out from the bars, her eyes making eye contact with one of the buyers as he passed, a mercenary who seemed to scan her, whispering to another hunter beside him, and they both nodded before continuing.

She knew right then and there that they would be the ones she would be returning with.

The woman stood, thanking her as she took the now-quiet child from Lys' arms before moving away to the back of the cage.

Lys waited in hushed silence for her turn to be brought out to be sold. And soon enough, she was pulled from the cell and brought to the block. She trudged along, knowing that she would be bought for about 1000 credits, no more than the price of a couple of good blasters.

As she was brought out, she scanned the small crowd. It was a less formal place than she had been in before, with the crowd forming no more than 100 buyers and their agents or bodyguards. She could feel their eyes scouring her, and she kept a neutral expression on her face as she too scanned the crowd back.

She watched as the mercenaries bid on her, a few others raising the price until she was finally sold and escorted away.

Normally, she would be brought to a holding cell, but she could sense the urgency in the mercenaries, and she was brought directly to a waiting transport ship. When she arrived, they were standing there, looking over her with dark eyes before handing off the credits and taking her chains.

"You're sure she'll do?" One of the mercenaries asked the other. "She looks-"

"Weak. It's what we need," the main mercenary said. "Come on, you," he said roughly, yanking her chain.

Lys followed silently, her eyes constantly looking around as they boarded a small ship, and she was moved to the corner before they disappeared to the cockpit, leaving a third mercenary to guard her.

She could feel his gaze on her as the ship took off, and while she felt unnerved, she instead raised her head, taking on a curious look, and stared right back. It was enough to make him look away, but not enough to make him angry.

The mercenaries didn't speak a single word to her the entire flight. She had no idea where they were going, who she would be handed off to, or what to expect, and she found herself getting nervous.

The mercenary who had first seen her finally approached her as they neared their destination.

"Alright, listen up," he said darkly. "You keep your mouth shut and your head down, or we're done with you. I don't want to know your name. I don't care. You have one duty."

Lys gritted her teeth, listening as he laid out their rules. But he still hadn't told her what exactly she had been bought for, and she kept her mouth shut as they finally landed, and disembarked.

The planet they arrived on was hotter and sunnier than the last, and Lys was quickly moved from the transport ship and into a bunker. She barely got a look at the outside before she was brought in, only to see a few men milling around. She realized that she would be surrounded with criminals and mercenaries, and she clenched her jaw.

While they were usually strong-minded and cruel people, she knew that they were better than many other options. 

"A nice woman for us to share, I see," one of the mercenaries called, sitting lazily on a stool in the bunker, balancing a sharp knife almost perfectly on his finger as he watched the group enter.

"Hands off," the head mercenary called. "She's here for another reason, and we can't have her distracted."

"What's that thing gonna do to us anyways?"

"You know what it did to Pi, Lowell, so shut up and hands off," he yelled back.

"It is not going to get away with killing people, Varro," the mercenary they called Lowell retorted.

It. So she was going to be watching something. She hoped it wasn't anything terrifying. She knew there were a great many beasts that required lots of attention and a lot of strength, which she knew she did not have.

As they neared the end of the bunker, Lys noticed a small group of mercenaries gathered around something, shouting.

"Back off. Back off!" Varro shouted, managing to get the men under control.

Lys froze, noticing a small pram in the middle of the circle, and she raised an eyebrow. What the hell was in there that made them all upset. And killed? Killed someone?

She was soon motioned forward in front of all the rough men, and she walked around the pram before looking in.

There were a great many things that Lys remembered, but as she peered into the small pram that contained a tiny, green creature, she knew that of all the people she would remember in her life, he would be one of them.

He was small, with two very large ears, his face cute and sweet. He reached up towards her, and she gave him a soft smile. This tiny creature was what they were all afraid of? She almost laughed out loud.

"Do you know how to care for it?" Varro asked, pushing her forward towards the child. 

She turned back and sighed as the child peered up at her, his eyes big and curious, his head lightly sprinkled with fuzz. She wasn't exactly sure how to care for him, but she knew she was better off saying yes regardless.

So she found herself nodding her head and kneeling to look at the child. He looked back up at her, his eyes seeming to be studying her. She reached in, offering her hands to him.

"Careful- he bites," Varro said to her.

Instead of teeth, the child scooted forward and allowed her to scoop him up into her arms and cooed, his ears flattening slightly. He was harmless, and Lys shook her head, wondering how such a tiny little creature could have ended up in such a big mess.

"You will feed, clothe, bathe, and protect him," Varro said. "And you will be left alone as long as you keep your mouth shut and your head down."

Lys ignored him, barely giving a nod in return as she studied the little bundle in her arms that had latched on to her shirt.

As she heard the group moving away, muttering amongst themselves, Lys sighed. She didn't talk much, not like she used to.

When she had been only 9 years old, her step-mother had taken Lys from their home in the middle of the night and sold to a passing slave trader without her father ever knowing. She clenched her jaw tightly for a moment, peering down at the child in her arms. Perhaps that had happened to him.

For years, she had been bought and sold and traded. There were some years that she had been traded amongst gambling rings and never had a place to truly settle. Like a pawn, she meant nothing to nobody, and no one had ever come looking for her. Deep down, she knew she was alone, and she hated it.

And so, looking down at the tiny green creature in her arms, she sighed and waved her finger in his face. She looked over to a guard and hesitated. They hadn't even given the child a name.

"Do you have a name, little guy?" She finally spoke, her voice feeling strange as she spoke for the first time in a few months. Her voice carried a small lisp, which reminded her of a desperate past. 

She was missing a part of her tongue and it made it difficult for her to say certain words. She was ashamed of it and barely spoke anymore. Her voice brought back too many painful memories, but with the child in her arms, playing with the bronze ring on the edge of her index finger, it felt like a safe place to speak. "I suppose not," she hummed to herself. "That's okay. Names aren't for everyone."

And so time passed. The two of them didn't leave the little bunker they were in, and most of the time were ignored. Sometimes there was fighting outside of the doors, but it would soon go away, and so Lys got used to it. Anytime there was fighting, she would find herself looking to see Varro's reaction, and if he seemed worried, she knew to be too.

He appeared to be the strongest of them all, and he had earned a leadership role, clearly being the one holding things together. 

As the days went on, Lys never spoke to anyone. She had learned that years ago, if you never spoke, you would never get into trouble, and so she kept her mouth shut. As a child, she had been loud-mouthed and curious, which had earned her beatings and soon enough she was silent, beaten into submission and silence. That coupled with her lisp was enough to make her never speak.

It wasn't like she cared anymore about the silence, she told herself. Lys stayed and cared for the child, and within a few weeks, she had grown attached to him. He was cute and curious, and he loved to reach and play with her hair. When he slept, his little snores lulled her into the most comfortable sleep that she had had in many, many years.

But she knew that peace wouldn't last. And how right she was. After a few weeks of a constant onslaught of blaster fire, she heard some sounds that were more terrifying than the others, and based on the expression on Varro's face as he made his way out from the bunker, she knew that things would be getting ugly.

Lys gathered the child and put him in his pram, deciding it best to hide them, keeping him from whatever danger lurked beyond. It was the best that she could do as there was no escape from the room where they were kept.

Based on the guards' reactions inside, it would get even worse. And so Lys began to feel skittish, and her nerves tangling up. As much as she hated the guards, she hated the thought of getting killed more.

Suddenly, the doors blasted open, and the guards were killed instantly. She looked up, seeing a man wearing Mandalorian armor and an IG unit making their way into the room. They were both carrying a beacon, and she knew that once they got close, the beacon would lead them straight to the child.

The beeping got louder, and she listened to them talking to each other. She suddenly felt her chest rise and fall as she began to panic. She had never been this close to death, and she suddenly saw them over the edge of the boxes.

A tall Mandalorian peered behind the boxes, seeing a terrified young woman, her brown hair covering part of her face. She was poorly clothed for the elements, wearing a tattered brown tank top and thin black pants. There was a scarf loosely strung around her head, and she looked away from them as they stared down at her.

She had her arms wrapped around a large circular enclosure, closed tightly, concealing something inside. The Mandalorian took the beacon he had been given and scanned the woman and then the circular pram. The beacon signaled that whatever was in the pram was what he needed to get.

"In there," the IG-11 unit spoke. "I will take care of the other humanoid."

"Wait, no. Let's be sure first," the Mandalorian spoke, motioning for Lys to open the pram. She shook her head, watching as the Mandalorian clenched and unclenched his fist. "Come on," he said again.

The IG-11 unit suddenly reached towards her, and opened the pram, despite Lys trying to shuffle backward away from him.

The top sprung open, and she watched as the child's head and ears popped forward, and he looked up at the two bounty hunters.

"Wait, they said fifty years old," the Mandalorian spoke.

"Species age differently. Perhaps it could live many centuries. Sadly, we'll never know," the IG-11 unit said, beginning to raise its gun.

"No," Mandalorian stopped him. "We'll bring it in alive. The woman too."

"The commission was quite specific. The asset was to be terminated," the IG-11 unit said, raising his blaster towards the child.

Lys froze for a second, her eyes going back and forth between the Mandalorian and the IG-11 unit. She could see that the Mandalorian was hesitant, but she knew the IG-11 would kill the child, and so, in a moment of self-sacrifice, Lys threw her body over the child, protecting his head with her hand and his body with hers.

Only the searing pain never came. She was frozen for a few seconds, hearing just the sounds of the child crying quietly in her arms, before hearing something clatter to the floor.

She peered over her shoulder to see the Mandalorian standing beside a metal body where the IG unit once stood. She looked up at him, his head tilting slightly. Even if his helmet appeared to be looking down at her, she knew he wasn't truly looking at her. It was the child that had made him curious, and he reached his hand down, and the child reached up to grab it, but Lys pulled him back and shook her head.

"You're safe," the Mandalorian spoke, having been pulled out of his thoughts by her actions. "You and the child. I will get you back to my bounty collector, and he will sort you out."

Lys pursed her lips. She soon stood, tying her hair with the scarf she wore. It was clear to her that the child would be going with the Mandalorian regardless, and as she peered down at him, she knew she had to follow with him.


	2. Episode 2, Part 1: Traveling Away

Lys quickly grabbed a small sack and put a few things inside. She then spotted the dead mercenary, Lowell just inside the door that had been blasted in, and she, without a second thought, grabbed his clean jacket off his dead body and pulled it on herself, shooting a dark look as the Mandalorian watched her, daring him to say anything.

But he stood in silence, waiting surprisingly patiently for her to grab a few things. She also placed a few provisions for herself and the child, grabbing a canteen and some food and a small, tattered sling that she knew she could carry the child in if needed. That was all she could take, and soon enough, she was ready to go.

Before they had left, the Mandalorian had insisted on programming the child's pram to follow his movements, despite Lys' silent protests. He had waved her off and had done it, despite her frustration.

But soon, she realized it might have been the better move, because as soon as they exited the bunker room where they had been kept for those few weeks, Lys was blinded by the light. She could barely see what was in front of her, and she instinctually pulled her hand up to block the rays of the sun, wincing slightly in pain at the shock of the light.

"Careful," the Mandalorian said. "Keep your eyes down and follow my steps."

And so she did. Blindly and without argument, she trusted the Mandalorian. She had heard stories of the Mandalorians before, only faint whispers between the other slaves when she had been just a girl.

They were fierce warriors, strong and intelligent, but also honorable and widely respected. That was a great deal more than she could say about any of the other people who had owned her.

"I'm going to get us out of the sun," the Mandalorian said. "Come."

They walked forward, with Lys barely able to keep up with the constant quickened pace of the Mandalorian through the sand. She found herself faltering slightly, having not been out of the bunker in weeks. 

Until finally, they reached a crevice in the rock, providing them with protection from the sun as they moved into it. As soon as the sunlight dimmed, Lys was able to see around her. She took in the sights of the rock, shivering slightly at the darkness within. The hair at the back of her neck stood on its end, and Lys clenched her jaw. She moved forward, coming to stand right next to the child's pram, and she looked up at the Mandalorian who had stopped and turned to look at her.

"It's quicker to travel through here," he said. "Come, we must get going."

Lys shook her head, looking around at the caves, feeling as though something or someone was watching them. She turned and looked back out to the desert.

"No," the Mandalorian said firmly. "We'll have to take our chances here."

Lys watched as he walked forward, confidently, his rifle slung across his shoulders and by his back. The pram lurched forward, following alongside the Mandalorian. Lys huffed in annoyance, almost sensing the arrogance of the man as he pushed on, allowing her to choose whether to follow him or not.

She hovered her hand over the small blaster that she had snuck from the IG-11 unit when the Mandalorian had had his back turned. Lys knew it may come to blows, but she was determined to be prepared in any case.

Little did she know, but Din Djarin had, in fact, noticed that she had grabbed the blaster. Despite the silence and skill in which she had picked it up, he had noticed the slight, irregular movement of her black pants, as she had concealed it against her side. The young woman had amused him, but he knew that she had many reasons to be cautious. He had been shocked when she had agreed to come with him, but it was increasingly clear that there was some sort of bond between the woman and the child based on the soft glances the woman had given him and the coos the child had produced when she had been preparing his pram for their travels.

While Din was a highly observant man, what he hadn't noticed was that when Lys had grabbed the jacket from Lowell, she had felt for the small daggar she had always seen him balancing on his fingertip. She knew it was something that she was skilled at, and so she clutched it tightly too, where it was in her jacket pocket.

As they walked on in silence, Din was grateful for it, although he wondered what her voice sounded like, if she could speak at all. The quiet had given him time to think, and it allowed him to scan their surroundings.

After a few hours, Lys began to hear the slight skittering of small creatures, and she could feel her heart beginning to pound as there was a rustling from deeper within the caverns. The wind had picked up slightly, and it was clear that the Mandalorian had sensed it too. He had stopped walking, and turned, peering up and around the region where they walked.

Lys too had her hand on her blaster, and she was frozen in fright, unsure of herself as she heard a hissing noise. The Mandalorian had placed his hand on his blaster when suddenly, there was a loud noise, and a large Trandoshan, a bounty hunter, jumped out from the shadows, ambushing them. 

The Mandalorian stepped backward and sent the pram flying in the other direction of the fight, and Lys raced after it, drawing her blaster, and looking around wildly, preparing to shoot anyone or anything that came near.

Suddenly, there was a second Trandoshan who joined the fight, also attacking the Mandalorian. They had apparently decided that she was not a threat and continued to attack him.

However, a third jumped from the shadows and turned to face her. Lys raised the blaster, trying to ignore the sounds of fighting behind her, and she aimed and fired at the bounty hunter, catching him in the leg.

He stumbled to the ground, but soon got up again, continuing his charge towards her, and so she fired again, catching his chest, but still, he continued towards her. She was about to reveal her dagger, when suddenly, there was a rifle shot, and Lys watched as the bounty hunter was vaporized in front of her, and a small, blinking red beacon fell to the ground beside the burnt ashes of his body.

She peered down at it before looking up at the Mandalorian, whose helmet was tilted slightly, and she could tell he was angry. The ambush by fellow bounty hunters had been unexpected, and he was clearly perturbed. He stood there, silently, his mind deep in thought as he clutched the rifle in his hands.

Lys lowered her blaster and clenched her jaw, removing her hand from around the dagger in her pocket. It was becoming increasingly clear that this was a dangerous job for him, and that she may have just made one of the most foolish decisions in her life by staying to care for the child.

"Come on. We need to get out of here. Make camp," the Mandalorian said, turning away from them and putting his rifle back across his shoulders. She was surprised that he had said nothing about her having a blaster, but then again, he was a Mandalorian, and she was just a slave girl. How could she even overpower him?

Lys watched for a moment more as he looked down at his arm, flinching instinctually as he touched something that she could not quite see. Based on his reaction, it was clear that the man had been injured. Lys watched as he called the pram back to him, looked over at the bounty hunters briefly before continuing to walk.

She placed her blaster back into the waistband of her pants, no longer bothering to conceal it. She was about to follow after him before she froze, looking down at the red, blinking beacon on the ground. Lys snatched it up, putting it into her pocket before continuing, choosing to walk side-by-side with the pram.

After another hour, they had escaped the crevice and stopped as the sun began to set, allowing them to set up camp. Lys wished that they had wood to make a fire because she knew that the nights in the desert would be cold, but it would not be a good idea as they were not situated in a defensible position.

But, it appeared that the Mandalorian had prepared for that, as he pulled a small heat lamp from his pack and set it beside him, turning it on as the light dwindled from the sky.

Once it was lit, Lys settled down slightly as even she could feel the slight warmth that it radiated. The three of them sat in a small little pack, with Lys sitting between the Mandalorian and the child, with the Mandalorian sitting at an angle against a slope created by the dirt and sand.

Lys reached for her knapsack, pulling out a few provisions and handing her ration and the child's ration to the child. He ate them hungrily, cooing at her. The Mandalorian looked on for a moment, realizing that she had given up her ration to the small child instead of keeping it for herself.

"Here," he said, reaching over and handing her a ration from inside his bag.

Lys hesitated for a second before shaking her head. She did not want to accept things from him.

"Please," he said, encouraging her to take it. And so she did, eating it quietly and watching as he turned to his pack and pulled out a small device and looking down at his arm.

Lys had noticed a gash on his forearm, that stretched horizontally across it. She could tell that it was painful because he nursed it slightly, not putting pressure on it. She watched as he tested the little device, and it sparked. He was going to cauterize the wound himself.

Lys suddenly reached her hand out, causing the Mandalorian to freeze as she reached towards him. She touched the device in his hand, recognizing it, as she had used something similar on other slaves many times. It was crude and nothing like a bacta spray, but it worked.

The Mandalorian pulled back slightly, looking at Lys cautiously before allowing her to take it. By the look in her eyes, he seemed to know that she would not hurt him. He watched, tensing up as she stood with the cauterizing device and came to kneel beside him.

She let out a soft sigh as she reached out and looked over the gash in his arm. Lys then reached across him and grabbed the canteen of water, noting the dirt and sand that covered the wound. She opened it and poured a little bit over the wound. The Mandalorian hissed in pain, but she knew that it was necessary, and she did her best to not let it get to her.

She then took the device in her left hand and his arm in her right, and she steadied herself before igniting it against his flesh for a few moments. Almost immediately the Mandalorian groaned in pain, his arm twitching slightly, but Lys managed to hold it firm. There was something inside of her that hated hearing him in pain, and so she stopped, giving him a few seconds to breathe.

"Keep going," he insisted.

Before Lys could continue, she felt a small little hand touch her leg, and she looked down to see that the child had gotten out of his pram to try and come help. He reached up, stretching his arms out towards the Mandalorian, and began to close his eyes, but the Mandalorian stood abruptly, startling Lys as he reached down and swooped up the child in his arms and walking towards the pram.

Lys stood anxiously, praying that he would not harm him, and she stepped forward as the Mandalorian turned away from her and leaned towards the pram, placing the child down inside.

He turned back to her, noting her stance, and shook his head.

"He needs to stay in there."

Lys nodded and watched as he returned to his seat and Lys began to finish the cauterizing. Once she had finished, she stood and handed the device back to the Mandalorian and turned towards the pram, only to see the child at her feet once more.

She shook her head and scooped him up into her arms, moving to the pram, and placing him back inside.

"You need to stay here. It's not safe," she whispered.

Din perked up slightly, barely hearing her murmur over the breeze. He eyed her as she leaned over the pram, playing with the child for a moment. So she does speak. He said to himself. But he chose to not say anything to her as she turned back and began to make herself as comfortable as possible on the warm, sandy ground. 

Instead, he closed the pram, ensuring that the child would be safe throughout the night as they rested for a few hours.

Lys curled up, the large jacket around her, keeping her warm from the breeze. But Din noticed that her eyes were wide open, and she was on full alert, her eyes never leaving the glow of the small heat lamp between them.

"Rest. We will only stay here a few hours. I will keep watch," Din said, watching as the woman's eyes flickered over to him, scanning his helmet, looking for his physical communication. Being satisfied at the way he was sitting, alert, she closed her eyes, drifting off into a restless sleep.

After only a few hours, Lys was shaken awake by the Mandalorian, and she shot up, startled and on full alert, the events of the past day flooding her mind.

As she remembered what had happened, she looked over to see that the pram was still shut. Sensing her nervousness, the Mandalorian opened it, and Lys sighed in relief as she saw the sleeping child within.

"We need to get going," he spoke quietly.

Lys nodded, ignoring the aching sensation shooting through her legs and body. They had walked for a long time yesterday, something that she had not done in a long time.

She stood and stretched quickly, looking out over the empty stretch of dust and dirt and sand around them, sighing lightly. She wondered how many days away they were from wherever they were being taken.

"My ship is only another part of a day away. Then we will be returning to the planet Nevarro. Are you familiar with it?"

Lys frowned, trying to recall that name, but she shook her head. It didn't bring any memories to her, but she didn't care. With any luck, she hoped that it would be a little less sandy than Arvala-7.

The group plodded on in silence when Lys began to hear the child wake, and he began to fuss. The Mandalorian turned to look at the child, clearly unsure of what to do, until Lys motioned to him to stop, and she moved in front of the pram, scooping the child out and holding him in her arms. She quickly pulled the small sling from her pack and expertly put it on, as if she had done it a thousand times before placing the child in it, allowing him to rest against her chest, his arms reaching out and clutching 

He seemed to quiet down after a few moments, and Lys began to keep walking.

"He should stay in there," the Mandalorian said, stopping Lys in her tracks. She had noticed him watching the interaction curiously, but she had ignored it, knowing that he would ask her to put him back.

She turned and raised an eyebrow at him, as if to say, I'd like to see you try to put him back in there. And the Mandalorian only sighed and continued, allowing this moment of vulnerability in exchange for peace and quiet.

However, soon enough, he insisted on placing the child back into the pram, despite her silent insolence. Unfortunately, he soon had his way, and the child was back in the pram, a bit more content this time, having had a moment to spend with Lys.

She made sure to stay inside the child's eyesight, but it appeared to her that he was spending most of his time staring at the Mandalorian with his curious, round eyes never leaving the man's helmet. She knew that the Mandalorian had taken notice, but he chose to ignore it, focusing on carving their path towards his ship.

After many hours without rest, Lys could sense that they were getting close, as he had picked up the pace, and she now struggled after him, the exhaustion beginning to take its toll on her.

The Mandalorian seemed to notice this and slowed his pace slightly, allowing her plenty of time to keep up with him, despite his antsy pace.

"It's just over this ridge," he said, pointing to a spot not too far from them.

However, when they crested the ridge, Lys' eyes widened at the sight in front of them. A Sandcrawler was right beside a large ship, and a large group of Jawas were collecting bits and pieces from it.

She could feel the rage emanating off of the Mandalorian as he almost immediately began to do something rash. He swung his rifle down off of his shoulder and grabbed a blaster shot, aiming at the Jawas below and took a shot.

Lys immediately ducked down, out of the line of fire as the chaos began. She rolled over and saw that the pram was still open as the Jawas began to fire back and the Mandalorian was still attempting to vaporize them.

But before she could reach out and take the child, the Mandalorian did something even more rash. He stood and raced off down the hill after the Sandcrawler as it began to rumble away.

Lys immediately shot up and watched as the Mandalorian took off in a full sprint towards them. Unfortunately, right in tow behind him was the child and the pram. Lys tried to follow after them, but it was no use, she was not as fast as he was.

Fortunately, she knew that the Jawas would not try and kill him or the child, and so she slowed herself, only praying that they would not get crushed beneath the wheels of the machine.

She followed as best she could behind them, keeping an eye on the pram where the child was. Soon enough, they crested a ridge and she lost sight.

"You've got to be joking," she huffed to herself. The Mandalorian was an idiot. What was he going to do against the small army of vicious Jawas?

She followed the tracks, hoping that she would find them at some point.

After nearly an hour of walking, and finding bits and pieces of equipment and dead Jawas, she crested over a ridge and saw a small, shining figure in armor splayed across the ground and a little floating pram beside it.

Immediately, Lys raced off towards it, arriving nearly completely out of breath. She peered around, looking inside the pram and sighing with relief as she saw the child was simply sitting there, concerned as he peered down at the Mandalorian.

"That was a bit of nonsense, wasn't it?" Lys muttered to the child before she turned and knelt beside the Mandalorian. She could tell that he was still alive, based on the rise and fall of his chest underneath his breastplate. She reached down and touched him, getting a small surge of shock, which froze her for a second. "Hm," she muttered.

She reached back down and touched him again, the shock having worn off. She shook him slightly and watched as he rolled his head slightly and sat up, looking at her and the child for a second, finding his bearings before looking back at the trail the Jawas had left behind, breathing heavily.

Lys raised an eyebrow before standing and turning away from him, scooping the child out of the pram and placing him back in her sling. The Mandalorian stood, clearly about to tell her to put him back, but she lifted a finger, wagging it slightly back and forth.

It was clearly her way of telling him off while also telling him to shut up. Before he could even say anything, Lys turned away and began to walk in the opposite direction of the Jawas, back towards the ship.

The Mandalorian followed after her reluctantly, allowing himself to wallow in anger at the thought of his ship being stripped for parts.

When they finally returned to the ship, Lys stood back, the child now in her arms as they stood outside for a moment as the Mandalorian went inside to check a few things out.

She could hear him getting angry, slamming things, and sighing in frustration, clearly trying to let off some steam before he presented himself back in front of her and the child. She watched as he made his way to the cockpit, testing the engines as they soon sputtered and coughed. The ship wasn't going to fly anytime soon.

The child wiggled in her arms, and she placed him down on the ground, watching as he waddling up to the ship and up the ramp. He peered around the side, looking into the ship and making a soft cooing sound before making his way further inside.

Lys followed up afterward, her eyes scanning the inside of the ship before she, too, peered inside at the destroyed area. Suddenly she stopped when she saw the Mandalorian holding the child, and she found herself smiling softly as she watched them staring at each other curiously.

The smile soon slipped from her face as the Mandalorian looked up at her and stood, the child in his arms.

Din had heard her walking up the ramp into the Razor Crest, but he hadn't moved his eyes from the child who was now being held in his arms. There was something he couldn't quite put into words, and he could feel himself being drawn to the small creature, some feeling he couldn't quite place.

He pushed it away before standing and looking over at the woman, and he froze, watching as a ghost of a smile was wiped off of her face. He blinked a few times, wondering if he had really even seen it, as her face was normally pleasantly neutral.

"I know somewhere we can go tonight," Din spoke up finally, approaching her with the child in hand.

He hesitated for a moment as she reached her arms out to take the child from him, but soon allowed her to hold him as they descended from the ship together.

The woman nodded. Din was half-expecting her to put the child back into the sling, but she instead put him into the pram, allowing Din to guide them. She seemed to have forgiven him, in a way, for his ridiculous outburst from earlier, chasing after the Jawas.

The trio moved on, away from the ship, with Lys wondering now where they could possibly be going and whether the ship would ever be fixed for them to get off the planet, but she did not voice these questions, choosing instead to be silent. She knew that she would find out soon enough.

And she was right. Just as the sun began to set once more, they arrived at a small vapor farm in the middle of nowhere. The Mandalorian approached confidently, and Lys noticed that there was a small Ugnaught up on top of a pole, fixing something.

They were silent as they approached; however, when they arrived at the base of the pole, the man spoke.

"I thought you were dead," he said, not bothering to look down at them.

The man soon began to descend from the pole, and Lys turned to the pram, taking the child out and putting him down on the ground, watching as he took interest in a frog, chasing down after it. She squatted, her eyes never leaving the child as he waddled around.

"You were the one causing all of the fuss?" The man asked, having arrived at the bottom, looking over at Lys.

Lys rose from her position and looked at him, shaking her head. She looked to the child and nodded towards him.

"No," the Mandalorian spoke up for her. "He is. I think she is just his caretaker. She wouldn't leave his side. I think it is a child."

"Hm," the man looked over at her. She felt self-conscious all of a sudden as he scanned her, taking in the clearly-stolen jacket, tattered shirt, the dirty knapsack, and the scars that littered her body despite her attempts to mask them. His face seemed to soften for a moment, beginning to understand her. "Best to deliver it alive, then."

He began to walk towards his little home, passing past the Mandalorian, who was standing, messing with a part of his gear that had been messed up from the electric shock that he had received earlier.

"My ship is destroyed. We're trapped here," he spoke.

"Stripped. Not destroyed," the Ugnaught said. "Jawas steal. They don't destroy."

Lys watched the man curiously as he was fixing a few things. She found him a curious little man, and the look he had passed over her earlier had made her feel understood. In a way that she had not been understood in a long, long time.

"Stolen or destroyed, makes no difference to me," the Mandalorian replied, the tone in his voice conveying his annoyance and anger at the situation. He was still fixing up his armor and weapons, but he paused for a moment to check on the child, an action that did not go unnoticed by Lys "They're protected by their crawling fortress. There's no way to recover the parts."

Lys watched the interaction between the Mandalorian and the Ugnaught.

"You can trade," the Ugnaught spoke.

"With Jawas? Are you out of your mind?" The Mandalorian spoke, his annoyance growing, as he was shocked that the idea had even escaped the Ugnaught's lips.

"I will take you to them," the man replied. "I have spoken."

The Mandalorian handed a tool back to the man, the one he had borrowed to fix his armor. Lys watched as the man turned away back to his home and moved towards it. She looked back at the Mandalorian, gauging his response before they all heard a faint noise, and Lys looked to see the child with the frog half-in his mouth, and she gasped, moving towards him.

"Hey! Spit that out," the Mandalorian said firmly, as if correcting his own child, but by the time he had set it, and by the time Lys had knelt beside him, her hand reaching to grab the frog from his mouth, he had already swallowed it.

Lys sighed and rolled her head back before scooping the child up and wagging her finger in its face, making sure he understood her message.

She approached the Mandalorian, the child in her arms as the man turned away, moving towards the home. Lys halted beside the Mandalorian and looked up at him.

"His name is Kuiil," the Mandalorian spoke. "He is a good man."

Lys nodded before continuing and following after the man, leaving the Mandalorian outside to compose himself for a few moments.

When Lys was motioned inside, Kuiil turned to her, closing the door just behind, and looked up at her.

"You were a slave," he said.

Lys nodded at him. She wanted to speak, but as her mouth opened to say something, her words wouldn't fall out. She remembered the way she sounded, and her tongue was soon snapped back into her mouth, the uneven ridge flicking over the roof of her mouth, a constant reminder of a painful memory.

For some reason, the man had instantly made her feel safe, perhaps because his mannerisms reminded her of her father's, a man she had not seen in a long, long time, but one that she missed dearly.

"You should remain here with the child until we return," Kuiil spoke. "Once we return, know you are welcome to stay here after the Mandalorian leaves."

Lys hesitated, before shaking her head. She would come with them.

Kuiil nodded, "And my other offer?"

Lys froze for a moment, looking down at the child, her jaw clenching. How desperately she wanted to stay. It seemed that he had created a quiet and gentle life here, and her entire being told her that she would finally get to rest. However, her heart led her in a different direction entirely.

He needs me. Whether she was thinking about the child or the Mandalorian, even she did not know. She looked up, a lost expression on her face when he seemed to know exactly what she meant.

"The child and the Mandalorian need you," Kuiil responded. "Then it is settled. I have spoken."


	3. Episode 2, Part 2: The Mudhorn

Soon enough, they were on the move, with Kuiil riding a giant beast-like Lys had never seen before. The beast was pulling them on a small hovering wagon, taking them to where the Jawas were. Lys had been given a blanket, as it had begun to rain, which surprised her. At first, she had allowed the rain to pour down over her, cleaning her face, and she had sighed, enjoying the feeling of the water against her skin.

Din had turned towards her, looking back to see as the water droplets splashed on her face, but instead of being filled with misery, her eyes closed, her face relaxed in a state of bliss. She was content. He turned back to the front, holding his rifle in his lap, preparing for any kind of confrontation with the Jawas.

Soon enough, as the rain stopped and the sun began to rise again, Lys was huddled beneath her blanket, drying off from the rain, with the child in her lap. They were cozied up together, drifting in and out of sleep until they finally were in sight of the Jawas sandbreaker.

Lys opened her eyes, hearing the sounds of the Jawas not too far off, and she took the blanket from her shoulders, looking to see that the child had climbed from her lap and was peering over the edge of the little wagon.

She too peered over as Kuiil waved a greeting to the creatures in Jawa. They seemed skittish, and soon they began to point their blasters in his direction.

"They really don't like you for some reason," Kuiil spoke.

"Well, I did disintegrate a few of them," the Mandalorian spoke in a monotone voice, and in such a nonchalant manner that made Lys huff.

She looked up and around, seeing all the Jawas coming to a halt and watching the group arrive with Kuiil. She shuddered slightly at the gleaming red eyes under the cloaked hood.

"You need to drop your rifle," Kuiil spoke to the Mandalorian.

"I'm a Mandalorian. Weapons are part of my religion," he replied.

Lys raised an eyebrow in frustration. He was too stubborn. Kuiil seemed to have the same opinion.

"Then you are not getting your parts back."

The Mandalorian let out a deep, long sigh, "Fine."

With that, he placed down his rifle and jumped off the wagon. Almost instinctually, he paused and held out his hand for Lys to take. He didn't even seem to realize what he had done until he found himself standing there, arm outstretched as Lys looked at him, a surprised expression on her face.

But before he could withdraw it, she placed her rough and lightly-scarred hand in his and jumped off, nodding her head in thanks towards him.

The Jawas said something, and Kuiil turned to look at the Mandalorian, noting the blaster in his thigh holster.

"And the blaster."

The Mandalorian looked down at Kuiil, stunned for a second before removing it reluctantly and placing it on the wagon behind him.

Lys went to do the same, but Kuiil stopped her, "You do not have to."

Kuiil then walked away, leaving the Mandalorian to throw up his hands exasperatedly in defeat, looking at Lys, who had chosen to stand behind him for protection, but now that she had been allowed to hold onto her blaster, she stepped past him, a smug look on her face, with eyes that gleamed with I told you so.

Din rolled his eyes underneath his helmet and he looked over his shoulder at Lys, who had kept her blaster attached to her hip. The cocky expression on her face and the faint trace of a smile almost made Din chuckle. Almost.

"They have asked us to sit," Kuiil said, motioning them over to where a few Jawas had gathered.

The three of them approached, with Lys quickly peering backward, making sure the child was safe before sitting down.

She had sat, cross-legged, while the Mandalorian had sat between her and Kuiil, his right leg outstretched, and the other bent, as he used it to lean on slightly. His body was turned, slightly, and Lys let out a soft sigh, realizing that he too was on full alert, despite his comfortable position.

"They will trade all the parts for the beskar," Kuiil spoke, looking over at the Mandalorian.

"I'm not gonna trade anything. These are my parts. They stole them from me," he said, his voice rising slightly.

The Jawa replied, informing them that they were, in fact, the Jawas' parts.

"They, they... belong... to me!" The Mandalorian replied, in terribly broken Jawa, making Lys wince. Even her own Jawa was better than his. But still, she said nothing.

The Jawas all began to laugh at him, and Lys could practically feel the Mandalorian's blood pressure rising.

"You speak terrible Jawa. You sound like a Wookiee," the Jawa replied, causing the others to laugh.

Lys knew he was going to do something rash, and she was right.

"You understand this?" The Mandalorian spoke, raising his arm and suddenly, a large flame burst forth from one of the pieces of armor on his forearms. Lys moved away from the heat while Kuiil jumped on him, chastising him to stop.

Once the situation had calmed down and the flame was off, Kuiil spoke again to the Jawas. Lys noticed that the Mandalorian had returned to his cocky and poised position on the ground, eyeing the Jawas with a guarded expression.

"He is Mandalorian. He cannot give you his beskar armor. What else may he trade?" Kuiil asked in Jawa.

The Jawa speaking with them stood, and pointed in the direction of the wagon. Lys turned in that direction, noticing the Jawas surrounding the child.

Within a flash, both the Mandalorian and Lys reacted.

"Get away from it!" Din shouted aggressively.

Lys took a different approach, before the Mandalorian could speak and before she could comprehend what was happening, she had jumped up, grabbed her blaster, and aimed it, firing a warning shot at one of the Jawas. She had missed purposefully, and the Jawas skittered away.

She remained standing, almost astonished at her actions when the Jawas spoke quickly, and Kuiil turned towards her, an exasperated look on his face.

"They have asked for you to drop your blaster now," he said.

Lys frowned and gritted her teeth before slowly setting the blaster down a little ways away before sitting back down. She noticed the Mandalorian looking over at her, and if she could have seen his face, she knew he wore a smug expression across his face, much the same as hers when he had been forced to lay down his weapons.

"There must be something else," Kuiil said.

The Jawas paused for a moment before beginning to talk amongst themselves excitedly until one word became clear.

"Egg!" They exclaimed together before the Jawa they had spoken to turned towards them.

"We will require The Egg. Bring us The Egg," the Jawa said.

At this, Kuiil seemed to roll his eyes and covered his face with his hand.

"The Egg? What Egg?" The Mandalorian asked.

Then the chanting began. Within moments, Lys had stood and had grabbed the child and placed him in his pram, and the four of them, Kuiil, Lys, the child, and Mando, which she had begun to call him in her head, were all boarding the Jawa sandbreaker.

When Lys stepped inside, she had to hunch over slightly, and she followed alongside Mando as he moved forward, hunched more than she was. They made their way to the driver's position with a handful of Jawas who wouldn't shut up about the Egg.

Mando was clearly thoroughly annoyed, and Lys was beginning to find herself annoyed too. As they bumped along, she was grateful that she wasn't hunched over as he was, and the top of her head barely skimmed the ceiling within the driver's window. Although, she had to duck whenever they went over a bump, which was driving her insane.

Finally, the Jawas stopped, and they made their way to the entrance, standing there together. Kuiil pointed towards a rounded corner.

"Down there, there's a hole. The egg is there," he said.

"You stay," Mando turned to Lys. "And the kid comes with me. I don't' want him around the Jawas."

Lys immediately shook her head.

"It's not up for debate," he said, turning away from her and beginning to descend. But before he could get very far, Lys grabbed his arm and forcefully pulled him back so he would look at her. He was surprised at how strong her grip was, and he found himself standing so that they were eye-to-eye on the ramp.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment before Lys shook her head and pointed to the pram and then back at herself. It was clear that wherever the child went, she would go too.

"Fine. Come on. We don't have all day," he replied, clearly having had enough for one day. With that settled, the three of them made their way towards the direction of the Egg.

They walked forward in silence, descending the hill towards what was a large hole in the ground, too dark to even see into. They arrived just at the mouth of it and stopped for a moment.

"Wait here with the kid," Mando spoke, and for once, Lys didn't argue.

He backed up the pram slightly, and Lys moved backward a safe distance with it. She watched as he made sure all of his equipment was working and prepared himself for whatever was within the cave before disappearing into it.

Lys watched and listened, barely breathing for fear that she might miss a cry for help. But it was silent for a few moments, and she allowed herself the chance to breathe when suddenly there was blaster fire and a loud roar, and Lys watched as Mando was flung from the entrance of the cave, landing a few meters in front of her, covered in dirt and mud. His breastplate was nearly entirely destroyed.

As he sat up, that was when Lys watched as a giant mudhorn trampled from the depths of the cave, roaring loudly. She watched, frozen in terror as the giant creature emerged and raced towards Mando, whose rifle wasn't firing.

Again, he was tossed away before the mudhorn turned and seemed to notice her and the child. She remembered herself and pulled her blaster out, aiming and firing at the mudhorn, but it only made it angrier and it charged.

Lys flung herself from one direction as the pram was flung in the opposite direction. She looked and noticed Mando standing slightly as the mudhorn rammed into the ground.

As it pulled back and began to turn, it laid its eyes on Lys, and she felt bile form in her mouth as it charged towards her. Again, she raced away, but it gained on her, and she whirled at the last second, her shoulder and side clipped by the mudhorn as she was sent to the ground.

She cried out as she was struck and landed in the mud. She lay there for a few seconds, the stinging pain coursing through her veins as the mudhorn turned towards Mando. She heard him blast the thing with fire and sat up, trying to gain back her senses as she watched him being dragged around like a limp ragdoll.

They were massively screwed. Lys tried to stand, but she could only stand on one foot, and she watched as Mando was flung through the air once more, landing beside the child.

He seemed to lay still for a moment, while the mudhorn prepared to charge, and Lys tried to muster a cry, trying to get the creature's attention away from the child, but nothing escaped her lips.

She watched in horror as Mando knelt shakily, clearly dizzy and heavily injured, holding a small knife with both of his hands, muddy and disheveled as the mudhorn charged towards them. It gained ground, getting closer and closer until suddenly, it froze, its feet lifted from the ground.

Lys was shocked. She watched in awe and shock, looking over to see that the child had his arm outstretched, his eyes closed, holding the creature at bay while Mando stood. He turned to the child before looking back at the creature and moving to the side of it slightly. Suddenly, the child's hand fell, and the creature also fell to the ground, but Mando got the best of it, managing to stab it in the neck as it fell, knocking him to the ground and the creature along with it.

Lys let out a deep breath, having not realized that she had been holding hers. She began to trudge over as Mando stood, clearly exhausted and hurt, his armor and clothes covered in mud as he stood over the dead mudhorn and pulled the knife from its neck aggressively.

She made her way to his side, catching him as best she could as he stumbled to the pram. They both peered inside, noting that the child had fallen, breathing shallowly.

Mando looked at her and she shook her head, she had never seen the child like that.

"The- Egg."

Lys nodded and helped him to sit down beside the pram, and she turned to the cave. She trudged inside, feeling the burning pain on her shoulder and side from the horn hitting her. She looked around for a few moments with the light Mando had given her before finding a small, round, fuzzy object.

She reached down and picked it up, looking at it closely before making her way back outside. She showed it to Mando, and he nodded. He stood and offered his hands out to her.

"I'll take it. You don't need to carry the extra weight," he nodded towards her injuries.

Lys looked and noticed that the side of her shirt and jacket were torn completely, revealing a long, muddy, and bloody imprint that traced up and around to the back of her shoulder. She took a deep breath and nodded, eager to hand off the egg to him.

Soon enough, three of them began to make their way up the hill, Lys struggling on his own due to his injuries, Mando barely clutching the egg as he too hobbled along beside her, and the child fast asleep in his pram.

As they crested the hill, she saw the Jawas' sandbreaker beginning to close, and Kuiil back on the ground, looking for them. He waved towards them excitedly.

"Mando!" He called.

At that sound, the Jawas' ramp froze and began to lower once more.

"I've got the egg," Mando said. "I've got the egg."

Almost immediately, the Jawas raced down the ramp towards them, their arms outstretched as they all began to surround the ground, asking for the egg.

Mando handed over the egg, and they watched as the Jawas quickly sliced it open and began to devour it like savages. Lys raised her eyebrow and looked to Mando, who was also clearly concerned by this eager grabbing.

He shook his head and moved away, followed by Lys and the pram.

"I'm surprised you waited," Mando spoke, looking at Kuiil.

"I'm surprised you took so long," Kuiil replied looking back and forth between them.

In a short while, after the Jawas had finished the egg and began to unload things from their ship. Lys walked on as if to help, but Mando waved her away.

"You're injured," he said.

She gave him a pointed look, waving to him as well.

"I have Mandalorian beskar armor. You- you had nothing to protect you," he said, pausing what he was doing.

He again noticed hey practically useless shirt and jacket and the long gash down her side and shoulder, and he looked around, spotting a Jawa nearby.

"Hey, you!" He said before pointing to Lys. "We want a shirt too."

The Jawa seemed to understand, and he walked away only to return with a shirt that matched exactly the one Mando was wearing.

"Hey- that's one of mine-" Mando said, snatching it from the Jawa. He rolled his eyes before looking over at Lys. "Here, let's get cleaned up a little better. And get that looked at," he motioned to her wound.

The two of them moved off the ramp and Lys found herself sitting on the wagon as the Jawas loaded it, with direction from Kuiil. Mando was behind her, with a canteen, cleaning his armor slightly and then cleaning her arms and then her side.

Lys gritted her teeth in pain as the cool water trickled down the gash, but no sound escaped her lips. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either.

"I'll need to cauterize this," Mando spoke, but Lys shook her head. She had seen him trying to cauterize his own wounds. She didn't want him to take a stab at hers. She reached her hand out and he handed her the tool and adjusted herself, beginning to cauterize it herself.

Din watched in awe as she silently began to cauterize it, with nothing but her slow, ragged breaths and the grimace in her face showing signs of pain. He scanned the rest of her, noting the scars and other injuries that littered her back. It was clear that she had been used to a life of pain.

"Hey," Mando spoke, noticing that she had gotten to a spot on her back and shoulder that she couldn't quite reach. "Let me."

Lys turned and looked at him before reluctantly handing it over to him. She soon felt the blazing heat and pain and she closed her eyes, taking deep breaths as she suffered in silence for a few moments.

"All done," Mando spoke.

Lys sat there, her eyes closed as she felt him slide off the wagon transport. She heard the sloshing through the mud before she opened her eyes and found him looking at her. She noted the tilt of his head and imagined the look of intrigue on his face, beneath his helmet.

She allowed herself a soft smile as she nodded to him, the stabbing pain now a numb one.

"Do you feel okay?" He asked.

Lys took a deep breath and rolled her neck slightly before nodding. She stood cautiously, moving her back slightly before picking up the shirt and moving around to the other side of the creature that was pulling the wagon.

She changed quickly, knowing that Mando was still waiting for her.

In the middle of her changing, the creature shifted slightly, and Din saw a glimpse of the woman changing, her top completely removed, displaying her back. For the first time since he had met her, Din's breath was taken away. Her back was tan and rough, and in place of the smooth skin she still had on her face, her back was lined with lashes from whips, the image of pain displayed as a medal dedicated to her survival.

He wanted to look away, he knew he should have, but she turned slightly and he could faintly see the curvature of her breast and a small, black tattoo on her uninjured shoulder.

Suddenly, she moved out of his line of sight and he looked away, feeling guilty that he had even looked over at her, and he mentally blasted himself in the foot for his gaze.

Soon, he heard the sound of her boots rounding the corner, and he took in the sight of her once more.

The back of her pants was still muddied from where she had fallen, and her boots also were brown from sloshing through the mud. She had taken her scarf off and tied it to her waist, almost as a belt.

Her hair had somehow managed to stay clean beneath the wrap she had been wearing, so she let it fall loosely down her shoulders. She now wore a dark grey, nearly black shirt that was far too loose on her. She had tucked it into the hem of her pants and rolled up the sleeves to her forearms.

She swallowed and shifted nervously as she approached, clearly fully aware of how he was looking down at her, so Din shook himself out of it, pushing the image of her scars to the back of his mind.

"I think they're almost loaded. You should go check on the kid."

Lys nodded and turned to where the pram was on the raft, and she hopped up, leaning down and reaching in, pulling the child out and holding him to her breast. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked down at him.

"We are ready to go," Kuiil spoke, approaching Mando.

Lys peered back at the large tower of parts. Somehow the Jawas had made everything fit into place. She then turned and waved to them as Mando hopped onto the transport, and Kuiil got onto the creature.

Soon enough they took off, and Lys reluctantly placed the child back in his pram. Mando peered around her, looking at the child. He reached over across her and shook it slightly before shaking his head.

"Is it still sleeping?" Kuiil asked them.

"Yes."

"Was it injured?"

Lys shook her head, and Mando spoke for them

"I don't think so. Not physically."

"Explain it to me again. I still don't understand what happened," Kuiil spoke.

Lys looked up in surprise at Mando, and he nodded. Clearly, he had taken a few moments to speak with Kuiil when they had returned.

"Neither do I," Mando spoke, his eyes never leaving the child.

She knew now that he owed the child his life. And so did she. She felt herself worried and concerned for a child that wasn't even hers, a child she didn't even know its name.

When they arrived at the ship, it was nighttime, and she was feeling better by the moment.

Lys was grateful that she was handy with tools, and as the men went to work, so did she, stopping only to check on the child. She put parts back together again, only asking for help when she did not understand.

In the course of a single night, they had managed to put the entire ship back together again, and Lys found herself utterly exhausted as the sun began to rise over the valley.

She joined Kuiil and Mando in the cockpit and she watched as Mando ignited the engine of the ship he had affectionately called the Razor Crest. She listened to the purr of the engine, finding herself more than elated to leave the system.

Finally, it came time to say their goodbyes to Kuiil.

Lys trudged down the ladder, following Mando and her new friend. They walked to the door, standing just inside to say their goodbyes.

"I can't thank you enough," Mando spoke. "Please allow me to give you a portion of the reward."

"I cannot accept," Kuiil shook his head. "You are my guest and I am therefore in your service."

Kuiil moved and went to pick up some tools. Lys looked over to see Mando pacing nervously for a moment before speaking up.

"I could use a crew member of your ability, and I can pay handsomely."

"I am honored, but I have worked a lifetime to finally be free of servitude," Kuiil spoke.

"I understand. Then all I can offer is my thanks," Mando replied.

"And I offer mine. Thank you for bringing peace to my valley," he said before his eyes moved to Lys, scanning her face again. "My offer still stands, child."

Lys looked nervously to Mando, who was intrigued by Kuiil's words shaking her head, declining his offer while also hoping that the expression on her face expressed her deepest gratitude. She nearly bowed to Kuiil as a sign of thanks, but he had already accepted her answer and nodded to her.

They both then watched as Kuiil descended the ramp, placing his tools onto the little wagon before mounting the beast.

"Good luck with the child," he said, waving to them. "May it survive and bring you a handsome reward. I have spoken."

At his words, Lys turned and looked back at the child, his face still resting, asleep and exhausted from all the energy he had exerted trying to protect them from the mudhorn.

She watched as Kuill moved away, leaving Mando and Lys alone on the ramp.

"We should get going," Mando spoke, a rasp to his voice that she had not heard before. He almost sounded full of regret.

The two of them made their way to the cockpit, the child in his pram in tow. Lys watched as Mando moved him to the seat to the right of the pilot's seat, where Mando now sat, facing away from her and towards the glass.

She took her spot in the other seat to the left of his chair, her eyes never once leaving the child's face as Mando began to power up the engines.

Lys peered out and smiled when she saw Kuiil waving to them from below. She watched as the Razor Crest rose from the ground before beginning to soar into the air, away from the planet, and then out into space.

When they exited the atmosphere of the planet, she sighed, peering out over the planet, a sense of relief she had never felt before falling over her chest. She was free, in a way, no longer bound to the control of the slave trade.

As Mando put in the coordinates, Lys turned and looked over the child, taking a deep breath. She hoped he would be okay, the constant state of sleep beginning to worry her.

She noticed Mando turn in his seat, clearly overcome with the same feeling as he peered backward at the child. He reached out and shook the pram slightly, sighing to himself.

Soon enough, he turned back to the controls, beginning to steer them in the right direction. Almost as soon as he had turned away from the child, Lys heard him begin to stir, and soon the child had sat up in the pram, and she let out a sigh of relief.

The child was going to be okay. And she only prayed that so would she.


	4. Episode 3: The Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Intense Torture Scene- this is in the section that has been marked off. Feel free to skip. Provides backstory and foreshadowing regarding her character.

It took about a day for them to reach their destination, and Lys found herself going in and out of sleep for most of it. She vaguely remembered seeing Mando use the refresher and cleaning off his armor, but she had never once seen him remove his helmet.

Not like she supposed he would, but she was still intrigued by it. Here and there, she would take the child below and play with him, so they would not disturb Mando's piloting.

Din did not admit to himself that hearing the coos and murmurs below was comforting, but he knew deep down that it was, and he would feel his shoulders relax, and his lip would curl upward in a quick smile. As soon as he caught himself doing that, he would shake his head and return to a more stern appearance usually just in time for the woman and the child to appear back in the cockpit.

At times, he wondered what the woman's name was, where she came from, but then he knew that soon enough she would be off with the child, and he would probably never hear from them again.

But still he sat there and he thought, and sometimes, as he listened to her sleeping quietly behind him, the child curled up against her chest, he would think about whether he should even turn the child in.

They had nearly arrived on the planet, and Lys dipped out for a moment, needing to use the refresher herself before they landed.

By the time she returned, she saw that the child had climbed up to the front and was grabbing onto something. She watched as Mando looked over, noticing him too, and took a small silver knob from the child.

"It's not a toy," he reprimanded the child firmly before grabbing him from the scruff of his shirt and placing him back into his pram.

Lys raised an eyebrow, knowing full well that the little knob was harmless, but she said nothing, instead choosing to take her seat as Mando descended into the atmosphere.

She waited to unstrap herself from her seat until she could finally hear the engines turning off, and she stood, following after the Mandalorian. They had both decided it would be best for Lys to carry the child, concealed in the small sling she had brought in her knapsack. 

The small town they entered was not the kindest of places, but there were many people milling about as they passed into the town.

Mando barely spoke to her as they wound through the streets of the town, and something inside of her began to say that she shouldn't even be there. That the child was in danger, and so was she. However, she soon pushed that feeling back, attributing it to nervousness.

They finally arrived at a small metal door, and she stood back as he knocked at it, and an eye extended outward, startling her slightly, and speaking to Mando. He held out a card, which was quickly examined and accepted, and the door slid open.

Suddenly, two stormtroopers came out, examining the child, who was clinging tightly to her chest, then Lys, and then Mando, and she felt a shiver run up her spine. She had served imperialists before, and they had never been the kindest.

But still, Mando stepped forward, looking back at Lys and nodding. She took one last look at the street before stepping in after, the doors sliding shut behind her.

She felt tense, the dim lighting of the hall making her nervous, and yet she found her feet moving forward. She could feel the child's breath quickening slightly, too, but she managed to remain calm until one of the stormtroopers grabbed her arm and pulled her forward harshly so that he could look inside the sling at the child.

"Hey, careful with her!" Mando spoke harshly, trying to protect her as best as possible.

"You take it easy," the stormtrooper replied, still holding her wrist.

Soon they made it through another door, which opened to reveal an old, whitehaired man sitting at a desk in the middle of a large storage room, filled with trunks and boxes and an old conference table. Behind and to the side of him was another, younger man, who stood tall, watching as they entered.

Lys looked around, as she was pulled ahead of Mando, and the man stood, holding a little beacon and pointing it towards her and the child. Lys shifted slightly as the stormtrooper finally let go of her wrist, and the child peeked his head out from the sling.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" The man said, approaching them, ignoring Lys completely and looking down at the child. "Yes."

Lys helped the child to sit up better so that he could be seen and she felt his hand still clinging to her shirt as the second, younger man approached them, with a small device. It was clear that he was some sort of doctor.

She watched as he used a little red light and began to scan the child, and he blinked, trying to look away from the light. He whined softly, causing Lys to hush him, and the doctor and the older man looked at her, surprised.

"And who is this?"

"She is his caretaker," Mando said. "She would not leave his side."

"Hm," the older man mused, scanning over her like all the slavemasters at the market had done. He then turned to Mando.

"Your reputation was not unwarranted," he spoke with a deep and rhythmic voice.

"How many fobs did you give out?" Mando confronted him.

Lys remembered the small, red blinking light that the other bounty hunters had left behind when he had vaporized them.

"This asset was of extreme importance to me. I had to ensure its delivery," the man said before turning away and reaching for something, pulling out a large, heavy white box that clinked together slightly as he rested it on the table. "But to the winner goes the spoils."

They watched as he revealed it to Mando, and Lys watched as he stepped forward, as if entranced by the treasure within. From his reaction, she could tell that it was beskar.

She hung back, the young doctor still examining the child, which made her slightly uncomfortable, and she backed away slowly from him, her eyes focusing on Mando as he reached for the beskar as the man continued to speak to him.

"You say you are the child's keeper?" The doctor spoke.

Lys looked at him and nodded.

"Come, then, we will get you both settled," he said. Slowly and haltingly, she walked forward, passing Mando. She froze for a moment at the door, looking at him with a confused and lost expression on her face, and she could feel the child's head droop and he began to whine as he realized they would be separated from the Mandalorian.

"Come," she whispered in the child's ear softly. "I'll make sure you're alright."

And before she knew it, she had stepped forward and was separated from the Mandalorian. They walked forward slightly, passing a few more stormtroopers on the way, which made her even more uneasy.

What was she doing? She had had a whole two days of freedom and was sacrificing it for a child? And for what? She hesitated, realizing that maybe she would be of no use to these people. Then, as they passed more stormtroopers, Lys felt the need to turn back

"Come, this way," the doctor spoke.

Lys finally froze, "Wait," she spoke softly, her voice startling the guards. "I- I left something."

She turned around, noting the door was open, and she turned towards it, clutching the child to her chest. 

"You must come this way," the doctor insisted, a stark, deep voice filling his chest.

"No, I- I-" she quickened her pace, but suddenly was grabbed by the doctor to prevent her from reentering the room.

Right as the doors slammed shut, she cried out, "MANDO!"

And suddenly, something hard and solid was smacked across her head, and everything went black.

\--------------------------------( GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING)------------------------------

"Lysa, Lysa, Lysa," a man's voice said, dark and low as he walked around her. "You've disappointed me."

Lys was standing in the middle of a room, an older, dark, tall man of imposing stature walking around her in circles as he clicked his tongue at her. She was in pain from the task she had been sent on, and she couldn't stand up straight due to the punching pain in her gut.

"Straighten yourself," he said, his hand holding out the black hilt of something she couldn't make out, but it fueled her into biting back her pain, and she stood straighter.

He seemed to smile at her, and she wanted to smile back, but she couldn't, "Now I want you to stand here, straight up until you pass out," he said.

Lys' eyes widened for a moment. Every bone in her body and every thought in her mind was screaming at her to run and get help, and yet she could not move.

"Yes, sir," Lys felt her mouth move.

"Good girl," he spoke, approaching her, his faint breath tickling her cheek and she swallowed, beginning to taste blood.

He seemed to notice this and laughed out loud, "Biting your tongue?" He clicked at her again. "You are not allowed to hold back anything from me, you understand? Bite. Harder," he said. "That will teach you a lesson."

Lys bit her tongue harder, her mind being crushed into complete submission as she suddenly felt something in her mouth, and a searing, screaming pain. Lys screamed, spitting up a part of her tongue. In her desperate state, she had bitten down so hard that it had gone right through her skin.

"Oh, well, that's just terrible, isn't it," the man spoke.

Lys felt the urge to vomit, and so she did- all over the floor and herself, unable to control it any longer. She was completely powerless against him, and she prayed that the pain would be gone soon and that she would bleed out onto the floor.

And soon she got that, as black spots began to take over her vision, and she soon collapsed into darkness.

\-------------------------(CONTENT WARNING OVER)---------------------------------

When Lys woke, she found herself tied down to a bed, and it was dark. She tried to struggle against her chains for a moment before the sudden sound of blaster fire.

She watched from her bed as the Mandalorian entered the room, his blaster pointed and shooting at something before coming over to her.

"Come on," he said. "I'm getting you two out of here. We have to go."

Lys watched as he undid her wrists and helped her sit up. She thought she might pass out the moment she stood, her head swirling as she saw black spots in her vision, trying to regain her senses.

"We don't have time for this," the Mandalorian spoke. Lys suddenly felt something over her head, and she noticed the sling she had used to carry the child, and then a tiny, warm body was pressed against her chest. Lys almost sighed with relief at the sight of the tiny child when suddenly she felt the Mandalorian's free hand wrapping around her waist and making her walk forward, his right hand clutching tight to his blaster.

He led them out of the room, Lys soon regaining her bearings, so she could walk on her own. They ducked out of the way of a couple of troopers, with the Mandalorian managing to take a few down despite his condition before suddenly, they reached a room and were unable to hide from a couple of troopers, who saw them just as they ducked behind a corner.

They were only pinned down for a moment before Lys reached out, grabbing a blaster from the Mandalorian's pocket. He jolted slightly before realizing she had grabbed it, and she nodded her head. He seemed to know what she meant, and so they raced both fired at the troopers, with Lys having to take two shots for the Mandalorian's one.

It seemed to be quiet after that, and they moved through another door, ad forward into the large room where Lys had last seen him. The Mandalorian had his blaster out in front, and Lys held hers at the ready when suddenly two stormtroopers came in the front, and two more came from behind, and they were pinned with no protection.

"Stop! Hands up," the first trooper said.

"Drop the blaster!" another one spoke.

"Wait," the Mandalorian's voice was steady, and Lys wondered what stars he looked up to and prayed to at night, for the calmness of his voice did not match the direness of the situation.

She suddenly watched as he raised his blaster.

"Wait," he turned and motioned for Lys to come closer behind him. "Don't hurt them," he said, when suddenly there was a clicking sound and then a whistling sound flew through the air, and Lys watched as all four guards were struck down by tiny little whistling birds.

"Come on," he said, and soon they were out of the building and outside on the street. Lys clutched tightly to the child, and she followed silently behind the Mandalorian. 

At first, it was quiet as they made their way through the small passages and walkways in the city, but as they continued through the town, Lys began to hear little beeping noises and she saw bounty hunters beginning to line the streets.

Din didn't have to say anything to her, as the two of them continued for a few moments, clearly being funneled to a specific area. And sure enough, they were soon surrounded. They were so close to the entrance to the town as the darkness began to lighten around them, but Lys knew that their escape attempt had failed, and she lowered her shoulders.

"Welcome back, Mando," A tall man walked into the middle of the circle. They were vastly outnumbered, and Lys was completely unprotected, still only dressed in the borrowed clothes from Arvala-7. The Mandalorian grabbed Lys' wrist and pulled her as close as possible to him.

"I suggest you let go of the woman and the package," the man called.

"Step aside, the Mandalorian said, his hand going and hovering over his blaster. "I'm going to my ship."

"You let the bounty go, and perhaps I'll let you pass. 

"The woman and the kid are coming with me," he replied, Lys could feel the tenseness in his body as he gripped her arm tightly.

"If you truly care about them, then you'll bring her over to the speeder and we'll discuss terms."

"How do I know I can trust you?" The Mandalorian was beginning to give way as he looked over to the speeder. There was a small white and red droid that was pulling it.

"Because I'm your only hope," the man called to them.

Lys felt him open and close his fingers slightly for a moment before tugging her arm gently towards the speeder. He walked her over, slowly until she had almost touched the speeder.

The Mandalorian seemed to pause for a second, his eyes looking over at Lys and then down at the child. Her eyes widened as she realized he was going to do something incredibly stupid.

Just as he turned and shot one of the bounty hunters, Lys threw herself into the speeder, ducking out of the line of blaster fire, her hands wrapped so the child was protected by her body from the fire. She immediately felt a little bit of pain as she realized she had landed on a sharp edge, slicing the side of her arm painfully. She hissed, not wanting to let on to her pain.

Suddenly, the Mandalorian's body landed right on top of her, and she grunted slightly, glad to have not been knocked against the edge again, but remained with her head down and eyes closed as the chaos ensued around them.

She could hear blaster fire from all directions as the Mandalorian shot back at the hunters before she looked at the droid.

"DRIVE!" She heard Mando say. 

The droid shook its head before Lys pulled her blaster and aimed it at the droid, still ducked behind cover, and the droid squealed before pulling away.

They were moving quickly, and they had almost made it to the gate, still under heavy fire when the droid was suddenly blown to shreds, and they came to a screeching halt.

Lys heard the Mandalorian shuffle, pulling out the rifle and aiming it, taking a few shots before the bounty hunters began to withdraw, afraid of the weapon that many of them had probably never seen before. 

The firing soon ceased and it returned to silence as everyone waited with bated breath. Lys reached down and touched her blaster as the Mandalorian was focused on the area in front of him. 

"That's one impressive weapon!" The voice of the man who had stopped them called over.

"Here's what I'll do," the Mandalorian spoke. "I'm gonna walk to my ship, with the woman and the kid, and you're gonna let it happen."

"No. How about this? We take the kid, and if you try to stop us, we kill you and we strip your body for parts," the man replied.

As the man said this, Lys had heard someone approaching from behind the Mandalorian, and she sat up, blasting the bounty hunter at point-blank range before firing on the other, killing them both before falling back to the ground, the Mandalorian surprised at her action.

They were being closed in on, however, and Lys knew they weren't going to make it out. She watched as the Mandalorian made a last-ditch effort, using the flamethrower, but it soon gave out.

She lay back, clutching the child, a single tear running down her face. She knew she did not want to go back. Those few days of freedom running with the Mandalorian, despite her chosen responsibility to care for the child had meant everything to her.

She watched as the Mandalorian shifted over, going to look at the child, his hand going out and touching its face. Lys had noticed the bond between them, even if she hadn't said anything, and she had been surprised when he had left her there.

"I'm sorry," The Mandalorian spoke quietly to her. She barely heard it over the blaster fire around them, but his helmet seemed to reflect a genuine emotion of sadness that she also hadn't expected.

But before Lys could open her mouth to speak, there was a loud explosion, and she watched as suddenly, a large group of Mandalorians rose into the air, descending on the area, shooting out after the bounty hunters until it seemed like no one was firing at them anymore.

Lys was shocked, her grip on her blaster loosening when she watched a large infantryman descend next to them as Mando was firing.

"Get out of here! We'll hold them off!" The heavy infantryman yelled.

"You're going to have to relocate the covert," the Mandalorian replied, no longer bothering to hide under the cover of the speeder.

"This is the Way," the infantryman spoke.

"This is the Way," the Mandalorian replied, getting up and reaching his hand out to Lys. She grabbed on, making sure the child was still secure in the sling before he raced them out of the town, towards his waiting ship.

They raced up into it, with Lys about to relax as they made their way to the ladder of the cockpit. She knew they would get out of there successfully when suddenly, there was a voice from behind them.

"Hold it, Mando!"

Lys froze, turning back as the Mandalorian did to see the man from the square. 

"I didn't want it to come to this," he said. "But then you broke the Code."

Lys made sure she was behind the Mandalorian as he tilted his head slightly, clearly looking for something before he shot, something from his wrist, causing there to be a loud hiss, and fog covered the area.

The Mandalorian pushed her out of harms way as there were a few blasts fired before he shot, and Lys could just barely see the outline of the man going flying backward off the ramp and out onto the sand.

He then turned to her and motioned that it was time to go. And Lys agreed. She followed him up to the cockpit, managing to get herself seated and secured as they began to take off from the planet.

She looked over at the child, noting that he had moved and was going up to sit with the Mandalorian as they shot upwards into the sky. She almost rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head as he disappeared out of her line of sight.

One of the Mandalorians used their rocket and flew up next to them, giving the Mandalorian a salute before peeling off. It appeared as though they had gotten an escort out of there.

"I gotta get one of those," the Mandalorian muttered to himself, clearly trying not to be heard.

Lys suddenly spotted the corner of the child's ear from the side creeping up over the seat, reaching for the tiny silver knob that he had been so obsessed over when they had flown with him the first time around.

She watched as the Mandalorian without missing a beat, reached up and unscrewed the ball without even looking at it before dropping it into the child's hands. The child cooed and then disappeared from sight for a moment before sliding over to Lys, asking to be picked up.

Lys rolled her eyes, letting out a quiet, amused chuckle as she swept him up into her arms.

As they reached the atmosphere of the planet, the ship sped up, and before long, they had jumped into hyperspace, on their way to a destination that hopefully, much safer than the one they were coming from.


	5. Episode 4, Part 1: A New Planet

Once Mando had gotten them well out of range of the planet, he turned to Lys and took in the state of her and sighed. The bruise on her head was pretty bad from where she had been hit by the stormtroopers, there was a long knife slit along her arm, and she had a few other scrapes and bruises that littered her body.

"Will you let me bandage you up?" He asked, and she nodded despite realizing then that her body still soaked in sweat from their escape.

For the first few minutes, he checked her wounds, feeling her shudder in pain at his touch on her arm and head, and her eyes staring at his helmet as if she were terrified, he would leave her again.

"I'm not leaving you again," he spoke. "I shouldn't have done it in the first place."

Lys noted how he seemed to scan her face, looking for her physical cues to tell him if she had forgiven her, and so she relaxed her body and reached out with her arm, gently touching his forearm in reassurance.

Once she was all set, Lys found herself exhausted, and she drifted off into a deep sleep.

Din watched the woman sleeping for a few moments, and he beat himself up forever letting her get hurt. He turned and looked over at the child, who had made his way back to his own seat and sighed. If something had happened to the kid too, he would have probably lost it.

He had lost a lot for the child, but he knew that Lys had lost a lot too, and so he kept his mouth shut and flew on, trying to determine the best place to take them to keep them both safe.

As their trip went on across the galaxy, Lys found herself given the opportunity to use the refresher, which would allow her to rinse off herself and get clean. When she entered, she realized that she would have to strip from the shirt borrowed from the Mandalorian, and her ruined pants, and she figured it was a bad idea and returned to the cockpit.

When he seemed to have realized that when she returned, unwashed and still in her dirty clothes, he sighed.

"We have a couple of days on here. You'll just have to wait till we can find a hideout for a while," he said.

Lys knew he was right, and she didn't mind too much.

The days went by quickly and without much disruption, as they primarily sped across space in hyperspace. She was thankful for that, and for the fact that they avoided major junctions, going the back ways and across lesser-known areas.

After almost two days, Din found Lys asleep once more in the cockpit, as was her habit. They had dropped out of hyperspace for a little while, and Lys was too exhausted to stay awake any longer.

Din looked to see the child watching the stars go by curiously, and so he allowed the child up onto the control panel to look out with him, hoping to give Lys an opportunity to rest.

For a few hours, the child behaved, but he soon became curious, and he reached out, touching a button, and listening as something opened.

Din quickly closed it and continued to fly. He heard Lys rustle behind him, and he hoped that they hadn't woken her.

Suddenly, the child pressed another button, and Din sighed.

"Stop touching things," he said, hoping to make his voice sound firm. The child looked up at him, cooing innocently before beginning to lean to the side, never breaking eye contact with Din before pressing, yet again, another button, which began to shake the ship.

Din had had enough, and he flipped the button back, scooping the child into his lap, when suddenly, he heard a soft, musical laugh begin from right behind him. He froze, listening to it for a moment before turning to see the woman sitting in her seat, her hand across her stomach, and her face contorted into a light smile as she laughed out loud at the interaction she had just witnessed.

"What?" Din found himself half-laughing, half-asking.

Upon seeing him looking at her and hearing his question, her laughter faded, and she just shook her head, an amused smile on her face.

Din looked at her for a few moments longer before turning back to the star chart, going back to work on finding a good settlement for them.

"Let's see. Sorgan. Looks like there's no starport, no industrial centers, no population density. A real backwater skughole. Which means it's perfect for us. You ready to lay low and stretch your legs for a couple of months, you little womp rat?"

He peered down at the child, who simply looked up and cooed at Din. The two of them then turned back and looked at Lys who simply raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

"Nobody's gonna find us here," Din spoke.

Lys nodded her head, and soon they descended into the atmosphere of the planet and Mando soon found a landing spot, not too far from a small little settlement. Once the engines were off, he turned, passing the child off to Lys, and beginning to descend the ladder. He paused at the last second, noticing the confused expression on her face.

"Listen, I'm going to go out there and I'm going to take a look around. It shouldn't take too long. Now. Don't touch anything," he said the last part to the child before looking back up at Lys. "I'll find us some lodging, then I'll come back for you. You two stay right here. Stay. Right here. Don't move. You understand?

Lys raised an eyebrow. Just because she had gotten thwacked over the head didn't mean she had lost all sense or ability to understand his words.

"Great," he said, turning and walking away, towards the ramp.

Lys turned and looked at the child and shook her head.

"Nah, we're not going to do that, are we?" She said, placing the child into the new sling that she had fashioned on the trip to Sorgan before descending the stairs silently.

Just as the ramp opened and she could see the lush, green around them, she walked up right next to Mando, and looked him dead in the face, challenging him to leave her there.

"Oh, what the hell. Come on," he said, moving down the stairs.

She followed after him, a skip forming in her step as she thought about the prospect of being free for a few months. She made sure that the child could see over the sling, and he cooed in wonder.

They soon reached a small tavern, in a tiny village, and she smiled at the prospect of eating anything other than rations.

They made their way in, ignoring the looks they were getting from strangers. Lys ducked her head down, knowing that they weren't even looking at her, they were looking at Mando's armor.

Mando led them through and found them a table, reaching out to Lys, as if offering to take the child and put him down himself. Lys took him from the sling and passed him to Mando before sitting down, the child on her left, and Mando just on the other side of him.

Suddenly, a kind-looking woman approached the table, wiping her hands, and Lys smiled at her.

"Welcome, travelers. Can I interest you in anything?" The server asked, looking at Lys, specifically.

Lys turned and looked at Mando and then the child and then back at Mando. He nodded slightly, knowing what she meant, and he turned to the woman.

"Bone broth, for the little one."

"Oh, well, you're in luck. I just took down a grinjer, so there's plenty," the server looked to Mando. "Can I interest you in some as well? Or your wife?"

At her words, Lys immediately flushed a bright red, her eyes wide with shock, and she looked at Mando.

"She will take one, but none for me," he said, choosing to ignore the server's statement.

"Very well," the server replied, beginning to walk away, but Mando stopped her.

"That one over there. When did she arrive?" He asked, pointing to a woman sitting in the corner of the room.

"I've seen her here for the last week or so," the woman said, a little confused while she tried to remember the woman.

Lys peered over, watching as the woman stood and discreetly made her way from the room as Mando continued the conversation.

Suddenly, Mando threw a handful of chips at the woman, and she complimented him, but Lys reached over the table, having seen how Mando had tensed at the sight of the woman, and she pointed to where the woman had been sitting.

Before the server could even walk away, Mando was on the move, and Lys sat still, flashing a sheepish grin at the server, who looked had Mando as if he were a madman.

"You have an interesting husband," the server commented before turning away and beginning to prepare the bone broth for Lys and for the child.

Lys could feel her cheeks reddening again. She watched as he disappeared from the tavern, and she sat there for a few moments, looking down at the child before they were finally served.

She watched as the child began to drink his broth before he paused for a second, noting the anxious look on her face as she watched the door that Mando had just left from.

He looked back to her and then at the door and then back at her before cooing and jumping from his seat.

"Me too, buddy," Lys said before standing.

"Are you all done?" The server asked, seeing her stand.

Lys shook her head and lifted a finger, signaling to the sever to give Lys a moment before she scooped up the child, careful to ensure that none of his bone broth spilled, and the two of them made their way outside, where Lys suddenly heard faint grunting sounds as if there was a brawl doing on somewhere outside.

She followed the sounds only to stop short and see Mando and her, on the ground, rolling before each pointing their blasters at each other.

Right at that moment, the child took a deep slurp of his soup, causing both warriors to look up at Lys and the child, to which she simply stared right back at them.

"Want some soup?" Mando finally spoke up.

When they returned to their seats, Lys remained quiet, eating silently as she watched the exchange between Mando and the woman, who she learned was named Cara Dune.

Lys listened as the former shock trooper described her experiences with the New Republic, fighting against Imperials, and then about being a peacekeeper.

"How did you end up here?" Mando asked her.

"Let's just call it an early retirement," Cara replied, looking over at the kid.

As if sensing that Lys' eyes were narrowed in disbelief at her, Cara turned to explain herself.

"Look, I knew you were Guild. I figured you had a fob on me. That's why I came at you so hard," she was half apologizing to Mando, half looking at Lys, who suddenly could feel that she had unintentionally furrowed her brows as she stared down Cara.

"Yeah, that's what I figured," Mando replied.

"Well, this has been a real treat, but unless you wanna go another round, one of us is gonna have to move on, and I was here first," Cara stood, finished her bowl, and then walked away, leaving Lys staring after her.

"Well, looks like this planet's taken," Mando spoke, looking over at the kid and then Lys.

Lys looked at him and shook her head. The walk over from the ship had been enough to make her fall in love with the place and to know that they were leaving it just because there was someone else in hiding flabbergasted her.

"Come on," Mando said firmly, standing and picking the child up before moving away from the table, telling her it wasn't up for a debate.

Lys clenched her jaw and reluctantly trudged after him.

The whole way back to the ship, as the sun began to set, Lys was in a foul mood. She had, at some point, snatched the child out of Mando's hands and stalked ahead of him.

She could tell that her attitude frustrated him, and for the first time in her life, she wasn't scared of that. He had rescued them from an impossiblly-protected place. He wouldn't just drop her right then and there because she was being stubborn, that she was sure of.

When they arrived at the ship, Lys took the child inside and laid him down, allowing him to sleep before returning outside and sitting on the ramp as the night began to darken.

"Why are you angry with me?" Mando finally asked, having just finished up something.

He stepped into the dim light of his heat lamp, and she pulled her legs up to her chest, ignoring the slight pain from her injuries on her arm. She found that she and Mando were now both staring at each other.

"I follow unspoken rules. And this planet is taken. I would expect the same from her," Mando said, going around and fixing something else.

At that moment, Lys huffed loudly, knowing that he would be able to hear her. He poked his head out to look at her, and she knew he was in disbelief.

"You're worse than the kid is, you know?" He said before going back to work.

Lys narrowed her eyes at him, but before she could do something else, she saw a faint light in the woods and she watched as two humble young men approached from the darkness in a small, droid-drawn cart. Lys watched as they got down and began to approach as Mando turned away from them.

She stood up on the ramp, noting the slight tenseness in Mando's shoulders as he finished up what he was doing, ignoring the visitors.

"Excuse me," one of the men spoke quietly. He looked at Mando for a second before looking up at Lys, who, due to their current dispute, descended the ramp and flashed them a warm smile.

She moved towards them before Mando pulled back and stopped her, his head tilted in a warning glance, his hand around her waist.

"Stay," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.

"Excuse me, sir," the man repeated, louder.

"Is there something I can help you with?" He said with an annoyed tone to his voice.

Lys made sure he was looking at her before she glared at him for the way he was acting, but she knew that she would stay put, and so she retreated to the ramp. He let go of her waist, confident that she would stay behind him as he finished up his work.

"Uh, yeah," the second man said nervously, turning and approaching where they both stood as Mando was deep inside of one of the landing feet of the ship.

Lys watched on as Mando walked the perimeter of the entire ship, with the two men following after him, trying to convince him to take a job protecting their village from raiders.

They walked around the backside of the ship before making their way from leg to leg towards the ramp once more. Lys could faintly hear the conversation as they approached.

"It's not enough," Mando was saying as he finished up the last leg of the ship, preparing it for their next takeoff.

"Are you sure? You don't even know what the job is," the second man said again.

"I know it's not enough. Good luck," Mando said, finally reaching the ramp and beginning to walk up it, but Lys was standing in the middle, stopping him from making it all the way to the top.

"This is everything we have. We'll give you more after the next harvest," the first man spoke.

But it was too late, Mando took Lys by the waist and physically, and gently turned her, escorting her to the Razor Crest, despite her silent protests, and it appeared as though the poor men had given up as they moved away.

"Come on, we should go."

"Took us the whole day to get here," the second one said with exasperation. "Now we have to ride back with no protection to the middle of nowhere."

"Where do you live?" Mando suddenly stopped and let go of Lys.

"On a farm. Weren't you listening? We're farmers," the man said, clearly upset.

"In the middle of nowhere?" Mando asked.

"Yes?" The man replied, finding his voice turning hopeful.

"You have lodging?"

"Yeah, absolutely," the first man spoke.

"Good. Come up and help," Mando spoke, clearly an idea in his mind as he turned and made eye contact with Lys, whose face had contorted into a soft smile. "What?" He asked her.

She simply raised her eyebrow at him and followed him up the ramp. She had gotten her way, and it looked like they'd be staying on the planet for a little while.

Mando directed the two men about, grabbing a couple of small trunks, and Lys simply sat and watched, happy for once to not be doing any work as she sat there, the child now in the sling attached to her chest, falling asleep warmed by her body heat and the slow rise and fall of her chest as she watched the men gathering supplies.

When they had finished, Lys watched as Mando finally waved her down from the ship and closed up afterward.

"I'm going to need one more thing. Those credits," Mando held out his hand.

Lys furrowed her brows and watched as one of the men handed over the credits. Mando took them, saying something she didn't quite catch, before turning to her.

"Wait here. I'll be back soon," Mando spoke. "Don't go anywhere."

And just like that, he vanished into the woods.

Lys noticed the two men staring at her and she gave a faint smile as they approached.

At first, they began to ask her questions, but upon discovering that she would not speak to them verbally, they gave up and messed around until Lys watched Mando return with none other than Cara Dune in tow.

Lys narrowed her eyes for a moment, not knowing what to expect when Mando pointed Cara to the shuttle before leaving her side and approaching Lys and the child.

"You ready?" He asked.

Lys nodded and followed after Mando. The two men sat in the front, separate from them, and Cara, Mando, Lys, and the child piled in the back, with Cara closest to the rear, then Mando, then the child, and then Lys.

As they moved away from the ship, Lys sighed, watching as the lights slowly faded, and everything grew dark. She turned her eyes forward, wondering at what surprises might be waiting for them at the end of their destination.


	6. Episode 4, Part 2: A New Home

Before long, as the shuttle continued, Mando had fallen asleep. He looked comfortable, confident in their safety, but Lys did not feel the same.

She barely slept on their ride out to the village. Lys was still wary of the shock trooper, but she kept her mouth shut and averted her eyes as much as possible throughout the journey.

She already had her hands full with the child anyway. She would have to leave their safety up to Mando, and he seemed to find the woman to not be a threat.

As her mind drifted to Mando, she noticed that he had fallen asleep, with the child sitting beside him, curled up against his leg. The rise and fall of their chests were in synch, and she allowed herself a soft smile for a little moment.

"So you do smile," Cara's voice spoke quietly, bringing Lys' attention away from Din and the child. The woman's face was barely visible from the glow of the heat lamp.

Lys nodded her head slightly, eyeing the woman with caution.

"I get the feeling you don't like me," Cara said.

Lys shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't like her, it was just that she didn't trust her. Not in the same way that she had come to trust Din these past few weeks.

"You just don't trust me yet," Cara said, looking to Lys for confirmation. Once she had nodded, Cara sighed. "And you don't speak either?"

Lys shook her head, looking down at her feet for a second before Cara continued.

"That's fine by me. I appreciate the company anyway," Cara said. "Been a long time since I've had people around me that don't annoy me. And so far, you and Mando don't annoy me," she trailed off for a second. "The kid's pretty cute too."

As if being summoned, the child sat up and opened his eyes, stretching for a second before getting up and waddling over to where Lys sat, holding his arms up to her. She scooped him up, almost cradling him in the sling as he made himself comfortable and cooed against her chest.

"He likes you," Cara commented, noting the way he had grabbed her shirt slightly as he fell back asleep. "Is he yours?"

Lys looked down at him for a moment, thinking to herself, but she looked back up and gave Cara a half-smile. She found herself warming up to the woman, and she finally decided to test the waters.

"Yes and no."

Cara seemed shocked to hear the voice that came out of her mouth. The 's' wasn't very pronounced, with Cara noticing in the glimmer of the lamp light that the tip of Lys' tongue was clipped, making it difficult for her to speak perfectly, but Cara didn't care.

"She does speak," she said, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you might not be able to."

"I can, but I don't like to," Lys admitted. "It's easier to stay silent."

"Do you speak to him?" Cara nodded towards Mando.

"No," she said almost wistfully. "He understands me, though, I feel. He is kind, and he protects both me and the child."

"You like him?"

Lys was silent, she admired him, yes, and was beyond grateful that he had returned to get her from the Imperialists' safe house back on Nevarro. Her eyes turned and watched as his breath rose and fell slowly, the beskar reflecting the dim light of the heat lamps dangling from the little shuttle.

She thought of the way he had allowed her to touch his skin the first day they had met, the way he had taken on a dangerous road just to protect a child from a life of pain, and the way he had turned to her when she had laughed, his body reflecting his surprise. She thought of the way they had argued with each other silently, and the way he had placed his hand on her waist, trying to gently guide her back onto the ship, away from the villagers only a few hours earlier.

It had barely been a week, and yet she was relaxed with him. He was a fierce warrior, shrouded in mystery and precision, and yet he was gentle and kind to her and to the child. Something made her trust him more than she had ever trusted someone else. When her eyes flickered away from the Mandalorian, she met Cara's eyes with nothing more than a thoughtful glance.

She didn't know. And so she decided it best to stay quiet. Cara seemed to understand that Lys would talk no more, and so she turned away, resting her eyes, and fell asleep.

Little did she know that Din had woken just in time to hear Cara's question, and his eyes managed to catch Lys looking in his direction, deep in thought as she traced his body with her eyes. When she looked away, Din realized that she had begun to grow attached to him in a way that no one else had before, and it made him reel with questions and emotions he had long left dormant.

He stayed awake as he heard Cara shift over to sleep, but he realized that sleep never came for Lys. As the sun had just begun to rise over the edge of the trees, he managed to return to sleep for the last short leg of the trip.

When they finally approached the village, Lys held her breath. She could hear the sounds of children laughing and playing, people talking, and the sound of the water surrounding the village for their crops was delightful.

Lys could feel her stomach turn slightly, memories of her childhood home returning to her. It was very similar to this place, and she took a deep breath, not wanting to get inside her own head.

As they finally stopped, she helped the child sit up so that he could look over the edge of the transport and see the village, and she watched as the children raced over, excited to see the new people.

Cara sat up, now fully awake, and soon Mando sat up also, his body becoming rigid as if on alert. He turned his head and examined the area before his helmet soon was pointed in Lys' direction, and she could almost feel his eyes on her.

She nodded to him, allowing him to see that both she and the child were alright.

Mando nodded before stepping off and beginning to unload things. Lys followed shortly after, holding the child as the children gathered around, peering at him in awe.

Within moments, they had been directed to a barn, with Cara being pulled elsewhere, leaving Mando, Lys, and the child to go towards the barn alone.

Lys felt a sense of ease and calm settle over her as she allowed herself to place the child down so he could walk for himself. She kept an eye on him as they made their way to the barn. The Mandalorian had slowed to make sure that both she and the child could keep up with him, and she smiled at that.

Mando carried a small, yellow case while Lys carried her small knapsack, with some food and toys for the child. She had secretly snuck the small metal ball from the ship and was determined to give the child time to play with it when Mando wasn't looking.

They arrived at the entrance to the barn to see a young woman named Omera opening the shutters. She turned and studied them for a moment before welcoming them.

"Please come in," she said. Lys followed right behind Mando and turned to check that the child was still with them. "I hope this is comfortable for you. Sorry that all we had was the barn."

"This will do fine," Mando said over his shoulder as he placed down the yellow box.

Lys turned and smiled at Omera, nodding her head in gratitude. The woman smiled back at her, and the two seemed to share a small moment of kindness.

"I stacked some blankets over here."

"Thank you, that's very kind," Mando spoke up for the both of them.

Lys turned to see that a small child was sneaking in through the door, and suddenly, Mando whirled around, pulling Lys back behind him, his hand hovering over his blaster.

The child ducked back behind the door, hiding from sight. Lys gave an apologetic look to the woman before giving Mando a reassuring squeeze on his bicep before he released her.

Omera went over and pulled a young girl from where she had hidden.

"This is my daughter, Winta. We don't get a lot of visitors around here. She's not used to strangers," she looked down at her daughter. "These nice people are going to help protect us from the bad ones."

"Thank you," the little girl said quietly, and Mando nodded.

Omera took a moment to scan the two. She noticed how Lys still stood just behind the Mandalorian's shoulder, her hand resting on his arm gently, a comforting touch. Lys soon let it slip down as the Mandalorian examined the two people at the door before turning away.

"Come on, Winta. Let's give our guests some room," Omera spoke, leaving the two alone.

Mando looked at Lys for a moment after Omera left before turning and cleaning and putting away a few things. Lys turned to see that they had been given a small cradle and she smiled, moving to the blankets and placing one in the cradle before scooping the child up and placing him in it too.

"Go get more bandages," Mando suddenly spoke up. "I need to replace those ones," he pointed to the bandages on her arm, calf, and her side.

Lys hesitated, looking over at the child and then back at Mando before taking a deep breath and reassuring herself. They were safe here, and if he was willing to let her go out on her own, he was thinking the same thing. Lys moved out of the barn and found Omera once more.

"Hello. Did you need something?" Omera asked upon seeing Lys approach.

"Yes, bandages, please," she said quietly to the woman, allowing herself to speak. The woman was gentle, and having heard she was a widow had put Lys in a kind mood, the two of them almost kindred spirits.

"Of course," Omera replied. She paused for a moment, taking Lys in. "Would you like a chance to bathe and a new set of clothes? I'm sure I have a set that might fit you."

Lys hesitated, knowing that she should return to Mando, but the idea of a bath almost made Lys want to cry. And new clothes. She turned back to look at the barn.

"I don't-"

"If you're worried about them, I can stop by and make sure they've eaten and are comfortable while you're gone. Then you can take your time."

Lys let out a breath of relief, "Please," she said.

Omera nodded at her before motioning for Lys to follow her.

Soon, Omera had found Lys a set of clean, dry clothes that had barely been worn. She also was given a towel and some soap, and Omera led her down to a place where she could bathe in peace.

"Keep them," Omera said, motioning to the clothes. "I don't think anyone will be missing those."

"Thank you," Lys replied her.

"Of course. And I will make sure that the bandages make it to the barn. Is there anything else?"

Lys began to shake her head but suddenly stopped herself, "Yes, actually. The Mandalorian will not take his helmet off for anyone. Not even to eat. If you could make sure that he can take his food to the barn, that would be very generous."

"I will be sure of it. It's clear to me that you two are very close," Omera said. "He is lucky to have you."

Lys found herself blushing and shaking her head as Omera walked away.

Soon that all faded as Lys focused on getting herself clean. She stripped from all her clothes and then peeled her old, dirty bandages off before slipping into the warm bath.

She lay there for some time, taking in the warmth and calm as she could only hear the sounds of the birds chirping, and the children playing in the small village. She soon took the time and scrubbed her skin, being gentle against the scars, and avoiding touching the soap to her injuries.

She watched her hair and brushed her fingers through it before finally moving from the bath and drying herself off.

She slipped into the new underclothes, pants, and long shirt that she had been given, noting how she almost could wear just the shirt if needed. She then turned and cleaned the mud from her boots before slipping back into them.

Once she was all done, she felt immensely better. She felt a sense of happiness and calm as she made her way back across the field and towards the barn, waving at a few children who were watching her wide-eyed as she made her way through the village.

After being gone for over two hours, she finally entered the barn, finding Mando standing at the window, watching over the children. There was a tray of food before him. He had eaten part of it, but he had saved some for her.

"You were gone too long," he said.

Lys furrowed her brows as he turned towards her, but instead of chewing her out even more, he seemed to freeze. She looked much happier, brighter even, now that she had had a chance to clean herself properly.

The clothes suited her, and he seemed to lose track of his words as she entered. She put away the towel and soap before noticing the bandages in the corner of the room.

Lys moved over to them, picking them up gently and turning to Mando as an offering of peace to him.

He nodded, and Lys sat on a small stool as he wrapped the cuts on her arm quietly, nothing more than their breathing breaking the silence. She could hear the village children giggling outside, and she knew the child was safe with them, as she had passed him on the way to the barn.

Suddenly, Lys turned and watched as Mando knelt before her and began to lift her pant leg to wrap a longer cut across her calf. She noticed the precision and carefulness that he used with her, never being anything less than gentle. Lys watched as his hands traced her skin and shuddered slightly as he finished up and began to check her over, making sure he hadn't missed anything.

"You alright?" Mando asked noticing the shiver.

She looked up at him and nodded, a faint smile on her face as she looked out over the fields. He studied her face for a moment before returning to her bandages and finishing them up.

"You should let me look at that," he said, drawing her attention back to him. He pointed to her face, where the bruise was still healing on her face. She shook her head at him, letting him know that it was unnecessary. "Then you're all set," he said, about to stand.

"Thank you," a soft, slightly broken voice spoke, causing Din to remain in front of her, his helmet now pointing up so he could see her face.

Din could have sworn he had seen her lips move. He froze for a second, unsure of whether he had gone delusional, but he watched again, as a soft and gentle voice repeated those words.

"Thank you."

"You speak," he said suddenly, shifting so that he was now standing beside where she sat on the stool.

At his movement, Lys flinched and looked back to the ground, as if she was terrified that he would hit her for using her words.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Din said. "I swore that to you the moment I met you."

"I know," Lys whispered, her eyes flickering back, searching for something behind his helmet.

The two of them sat for a moment before Lys opened her mouth again.

"Lys. My name is Lys," she said, her voice soft and comforting, in a way that Din could not wrap his mind around. He could really hear her lisp in her name. He thought of his own name, wondering how it would sound on her lips. The thought comforted, and the sound of her sweet voice.

So that was why she was silent. He thought to himself.

"Lys," he repeated, her name rolling off of his tongue. He liked it. It suited her, but he kept his mouth shut, choosing to nod instead, for fear that he would speak and she would revert to being quiet once more.

"Do you like it, Mando?" Lys prompted him, liking the sound of his voice.

Din almost balked as she called him that. It was a name he had long lived with, but hearing it from her lips made him wish she would call him something else. Anything other than the name he had been given by people he cared little for.

"Din," he said suddenly, his true name rolling from his tongue easily, shocking him as he said it out loud. "Din Djarin. And yes, I do."

Lys widened her eyes, realizing that he was telling her his name, despite probably not telling another soul what it was in a very long time.

"Din," she said softly, carefully. She could tell he was worried that she would tell someone else. "I will keep it to myself," she promised.

"Thank you," he said, feeling a weight lift from his chest.

"Cara and I will be heading out shortly to check out things. You should stay here with the kid," Din spoke, looking up at Lys. "Just- stay safe."

"You should rest a while," Lys balked.

"I'll rest once this job is done," Din replied. "Until then, I haven't earned the right for us to remain here."

Lys knew better than to argue, so she closed her mouth and nodded before straightening the hem of her shirt slightly. She was still getting used to having a proper set of clothes, and she was very grateful for it.

As she was adjusting her shirt, with Din watching on, she heard a faint whine, and her head shot up. The child needed her, and she stood from the chair quickly. It was a kind of mothering instinct that she had developed over the past month with the child.

"What is it?" Din asked her, looking around.

Lys ignored him, forgetting that she could use her words, and left the barn, leaving Din behind. He was bewildered as he watched her leave, having not heard a single whisper.

She turned away from the barn and moved towards the whining before stumbling upon the village children playing with the child. He had gotten his foot stuck in something, and they were trying to get him out, but he was struggling and wiggling too much to be helped.

Lys approached, and the children stood and cautiously backed away, looking at her curiously as she knelt down beside the child and helped him out of the position.

She tried to set him down on the ground to continue to play, but he clung to her, still whining slightly.

"Hush, now," she whispered. "You're alright. You should go play with your new friends."

At her words, he seemed to relax, and Lys put him down and stood, watching as he peered out from behind her leg to look at the other children. Before too long, he had moved out and was racing along, happy once more with his new friends.

Lys watched them for a moment before turning to go back to the barn only to see that Din was standing by one of the buildings, watching her. When she had raced out, he had followed quickly after her, worried that something had happened.

But when he had arrived, he had seen the child, hearing his cries as Lys had gone and cared for him, and his heart swelled for a moment. The child was safe with her, and it was clear that he cared for her. He nodded to Lys as she made her way back towards him.

"I thought something was wrong," Din said. "You just raced away."

"I did too," Lys replied. "I heard him and just found him like that."

"You're good with him," Din said.

Lys smiled appreciatively in his direction before turning away and making her way back to the barn to make sure they were all settled in. She entered, finally taking stock of the place. She noted there was bedding on the floor, big enough for both her and Din to sleep. She reached down and picked up the yellow trunk and moved it away from the bedding. He had placed it down in an inconvenient spot, and she rolled her eyes. Men.

She began to walk around, moving this and that, taking blankets and moving them. She set her knapsack beside the part of the bedding that she had claimed and then moved the crib so that it was right beside her as she slept.

As she rustled around, Din watched from just outside the door, fascinated by her movements and how quickly she could make things feel comfortable. He noticed that she was reaching for one of his long and heavy trunks, clearly wanting to use it for something, but she suddenly stopped, clearly having stressed one of her wounds.

Din came and gently nudged her aside, reaching up and taking it down for her.

"Where do you want it?" He asked.

Lys felt her face go red, "I was going to put it between my side and yours. So that we're both comfortable and-" she didn't need to finish.

Din nodded in agreeance and placed it down between their sides of the bed. A tiny part of him didn't want it there, but he shook his head, unsure of exactly why.

"Hey, you ready, Mando?" A voice called from outside the barn.

He turned and grabbed his rifle from where he had set it down just inside the door, ready to go out, but just before he could step outside the door, he paused and looked back to see Lys still working. She seemed to sense his hesitation and looked up, giving him a gentle smile before returning to her work.

With that, Din left, and Lys peered out of the window, watching as he walked away with Cara, the two of them going to scout out the area and lay out a plan to protect the villagers from the raiders.

After about half an hour, Lys was satisfied with her work, and she stood, admiring it. It felt homey, and she was grateful to be in a place with no sand and nothing terrible.

"It looks good in here," Omera's voice said from the door.

Lys turned and looked back to see that the woman had reappeared.

"Thank you. It is comfortable," Lys said. She noticed that Winta was with her mother, and just behind her, the child approached, giggling when he saw Lys.

"I wanted to ask, do you have a name?" Omera asked. "And the child?"

"Lys," she replied before looking at the child. "And- I don't know his. We haven't bothered to give him one," she admitted.

"And your-" Omera noted the separated bedding behind Lys before continuing, "friend."

"He has a name, but he keeps it to himself. I called him Mando once," Lys said, reaching down and pulling the child up into her arms.

"He told me he had not taken his helmet off since he was a boy," Omera said, causing Lys to nod. "He keeps a lot to himself."

"He does. We both do. I think that is why he had kept me around," Lys chuckled lightly before feeling the child squirm against her. "Did you need any help with anything now that I've finished here?" She asked, trying to keep her hands busy.

"No, no, take time with the child," Omera nodded. "We will begin making dinner soon for the families, but you should rest. We can make use of you in the days to come, I'm sure."

Lys nodded and watched as Omera turned and left, with Winta trailing behind her. She felt comfortable there, happy to be somewhere warm and safe for once. She went over and grabbed something from her knapsack before taking a seat on one of the trunks.

"Would you like to see what I have?" She asked, holding the child in her lap and stretching her hands out in front of them, tightly closed. He cooed up at her. "Which hand is it in?" She asked quietly.

He seemed to think for a moment before pointing to her right hand, and she opened it, revealing the small, metallic knob from the ship. The child reached out and took it from her, cooing and laughing delightedly.

"I think we're just going to have to keep it from Din, won't we? Our little secret," Lys laughed, watching as the child was enamored with the little metal knob.

"Keep what from me?" A deep voice spoke, causing Lys to look up, shocked to see that Din had returned after about an hour of scouting around.

"Well," Lys looked as the child held up the little silver knob and squealed.

"You let him take it from the ship?" Din asked.

"How could I say no? You saw his face," Lys shrugged. "It's the one thing that keeps him quiet anyways."

She then noticed his tense stance and the people who were being gathered outside one of the main buildings.

"What- what's happened?" Lys asked.

"Come on, you'll find out soon enough," Din said, motioning for her to follow him out the door. Lys complied and followed him out, allowing the child to trail behind her, silver knob in hand, as they moved towards the group.


	7. Episode 4, Part 3: Raiders

Din and Cara took their place up on the platform while Lys slid in beside Omera and Winta. As soon as they gathered, Cara clapped her hands, silencing the small crowd.

"Bad news," Din spoke first. "You can't live here anymore."

Lys blinked in stunned silence. Din's words were abrupt and spoken with little tact. She seemed to catch his gaze in the crowd, and she cocked her head as if to say 'really?' She watched as he exchanged words with Cara before the shock trooper stepped forward.

"I know this is not the news you wanted to hear, but there are no other options."

"You took the job," Lys heard one of the villagers call out.

"That was before we knew about the AT-ST," Cara said.

At the mention of the Imperial walker, Lys paled. She clenched her fists together, her heart beating fast. The Empire continued to haunt her even after it had fallen into its own grave.

She pursed her lips. No small, tiny village deserves to be wiped out by raiders who profited from the Empire. She knew right then and there that she would do whatever it took to convince Din to take the job, regardless of how dangerous it could be.

She listened as they began to argue between themselves and with Cara. Meanwhile, Din seemed to be looking at her once more from where he stood. He had noticed her face turn pale at the mention of walker, and then her resolve afterward.

He sighed. If he ever wanted to sleep in peace without Lys picking a fight like the previous day, he knew they should try to do what they could. He could come up with something.

"We're not leaving," Omera's voice called confidently.

"You cannot fight that thing," Cara said to them.

"Unless we show them how," Din replied, just loud enough for the crowd to hear.

Din and Cara seemed to talk for a few moments, and Lys watched the whole time, her eyes never leaving Din's helmet. When they turned back around, his stance told her that she had won a fight they hadn't even argued about.

"Fine. But you need to be willing to work for it," Din said.

"We'll do it," Omera spoke for the village.

Din nodded.

"Give us an hour to plan. We'll call another meeting later today," Cara said before they came down from the platform.

Din and Cara were speaking when Lys approached, "Don't bother," Din held up a hand to her, and she laughed at him.

"Did I say anything?" She asked, watching as he turned his back from her, not wanting to have to discuss the fact that she had won a potential argument by just looking at him. "I didn't say anything!" She called as he moved away with Cara.

When he had disappeared from sight, she looked down to see the child was whining at her feet, his hands empty. She realized that he had lost the little silver ball, and she sighed.

"Come on, looks like we've got a little scavenger hunt on our hands," she said, and the two of them began to look for the little ball.

It took them forever to finally find it, and by that point, the child was cranky and half-asleep, so Lys took him and brought him to the barn to find Din and Cara still talking as they sat on a couple of trunks.

She watched as they both tensed and looked up as she entered before turning back to conversation as two friends working together. She listened to them as they spoke. She tried to put the child down, but with their presence, he remained awake and cranky.

"He needs his sleep," she said, turning to see them wrapping up their conversation.

"Sorry, Lys," Cara said. "I think we've figured it out now."

"It's all yours," Din said, standing with Cara.

Lys watched as they left, finding herself getting tired once more, allowing herself to sit down, and within minutes, she was asleep.

She slept for a while and didn't wake when Din came to get something to help them with their plan. When he entered, he was surprised to see Lys fast asleep, but he was glad to see her finally comfortable enough to do so.

He wanted to let her rest, so he took the child from the crib and sent him to go play out with the other children. When the child had left, Din couldn't help but study her face.

As she slept, her brows were furrowed with concern. He wondered what she dreamed about, but he left her alone, allowing her the sleep he knew she didn't get. He was thankful he hadn't ended up as she had. He wondered when the last time she had properly slept was

She slept through the afternoon and unintentionally through dinner, not even waking when Din came to the barn with his dinner, he was yet again surprised to see her still fast asleep in the bed.

He set his food down, coming over and deciding it best to wake her up.

"Hey, wake up," he said, going over and shaking her lightly.

Lys jumped slightly, her eyes opening and she sat up, crashing into his helmet.

"Oh!" She exclaimed going to grab her head. "Sorry," she shook her head before letting out a yawn as Din stood and moved away from her. "What time is it?" She asked, noting that it was dark.

"Late. Here, take this, you've missed dinner," Din said, pushing his plate of food towards her.

"No, no," she shook her head. "I'm barely hungry," she then suddenly froze and looked over at the crib, realizing that it was empty.

"He's sitting with Omera," Din said.

"Right," Lys closed her eyes for only a moment before stretching and standing. She realized that he must have been trying to eat. "I'll leave you be."

Din watched as she walked out, moving towards Omera's home where she would try to get dinner. He could just barely see across to their place as she entered, sitting at the table and talking with Omera, smiling at the kids.

He had seen her smile more times in one day than he had seen her smile in over a week of being around her. It appeared as though she fit right in, this place could easily become her home.

She was relaxed, the weight of being a slave being lifted up, allowing her to rest and enjoy her time there. When he finally finished eating, he saw that she had made her way outside, and he was drawn to join her.

When he arrived, she was alone, watching the child chase after a frog. The faint twinkle of the village lanterns allowed him to see her face. There were a few others out and about, but it seemed as though they were all making their way to their homes.

"How was your dinner?" Lys asked, glancing up at him as he approached her.

"Good," he replied, taking up a stance beside her, his arms hanging down at his sides as they watched the child.

"Omera tells me you're having them dig a trench?" Lys finally spoke, glancing up at him once more.

"It's the only way to down the AT-ST," Din replied. "We've got a plan in motion."

"I should have been around to help today," Lys shook her head. "I don't know what came over me."

"You'll be more useful to us well-rested," Din replied, trying to offer her solace. He shifted, finally looking over at her. Her hair was now tied back into two simple braids, a few whisps having fallen out from them. He wasn't used to being curious, to asking questions, but he soon let one slip from his mouth, "why did you decide to speak to me?"

Lys felt her chest rise and fall a little quicker at his voice breaking their comfortable silence. She seemed to think for a moment, choosing her words carefully.

"I used to speak with other people," she said. "When I was a child, but over time, it's always just been easier to be quiet," her mind flashed to an unpleasant memory.

Din watched as she seemed lost for a moment, before she pulled herself back, "There are more than a few bad memories," she whispered, her hand going and touching her mouth as if trying to cover up the image of her tongue, a phantom habit of her past.

"We all have them," Din replied.

"Some more than others," Lys reminded him.

He was quiet after that, until Lys spoke once more, "Once the raiders are gone, how long are we intending to stay here?"

"I'm not sure," Din shook his head. "We'll have to wait and see if anyone finds the kid. As far as I know, this place seems to be pretty safe."

Lys agreed. But she still worried that in her eagerness, she had relaxed too much, and her eyes flickered the edge of the woods, tenseness building in her shoulders. Din noticed this and his eyes moved to scan the surrounding woods, but he saw nothing. Even when he reached up and turned on the heat signature scanner, he saw nothing in the woods.

"There's nothing there."

"I know," Lys sighed. "But I can't help but wonder," once she said that, she turned away from the woods, moving over to where the child had just captured a frog and was about to eat it.

"No, no. Put it down," she told him, kneeling and pulling the frightened frog from his mouth and letting it hop away despite the child's whines. She picked up the child and hushed him, finding soon that he was falling asleep.

"We'll head to the barn," Lys nodded to Din.

"I'll come in a minute."

Lys walked to the barn, quickly putting the child to bed. He fell asleep almost as soon as his head touched the crib, making Lys chuckle to herself. She moved to get in bed when she heard a knock on the side of the barn. She looked up to see that Omera was standing, with a basket full of clothes.

"Some of the women gathered spare clothes for you and the child. I believe there's even something in there for Mando as well," she said, setting it down on a stool.

"Thank you," Lys smiled at her. "It's much appreciated."

"Of course," Omera looked over at the child sleeping. "How long have you been caring for him?"

"Only a month," Lys replied also looking over to see his ears were curled up and his tiny hands were clutching the blanket. "He's a good kid. I think he's grown attached to the Mandalorian."

"And especially to you," Omera pointed out. "You're a good mother to him," she said this last part before excusing herself from the barn, passing Din on the way out.

Lys bit her lip, barely glancing over at Din as he entered the room. Her mind was deep in thought, thinking over Omera's words as she absent-mindedly looked through the pile of clothes.

She looked up as she heard Din's armor clinking together. She was surprised to see that he had removed a couple of pieces, setting them right beside his spot on the bed before stretching slightly.

Lys found a soft, warm nightgown and picked it up. She had never felt anything so soft in her life. She put away the rest of the clothes before taking the gown and turning to go find a place to change into it, but Din's voice stopped her.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To find somewhere to change," Lys replied.

"You can change here," Din motioned to the room.

Lys raised her eyebrow, "I am not undressing in front of you," she balked. "That's like-" she paused when she realized he had turned, facing a corner of the barn.

"My eyes are closed," he said.

Lys stood there, clutching tightly to the nightgown before quickly removing her clothes and placing it on. She hummed to herself, spinning around in a circle, loving the way it swirled around her legs. She froze when she realized that Din had turned back, having heard her humming contentedly.

"Sorry," she whispered, her face falling as she felt his gaze on her. "I've never worn anything like this before."

"Don't apologize," Din shook his head. "Get some sleep. We have a lot of work to do the next couple of days."

Lys nodded, moving over and laying down on her side of the bed. Despite the length of time that she had slept earlier, she was still tired. Lys laid her head down on the bed, sleeping with her back facing the trunk that just barely separated her from Din.

She lay there for a few moments, looking over at the crib where the child still lay, fast asleep, the hushed sounds of his snores beginning to lull her to sleep. She could also faintly hear Din's breath under his helmet, and that too comforted her as she finally fell asleep.

The next day was full of practice training and Lys joined in, with Omera catching her up on the plan. They were taking shifts digging the trench, the barriers, and also training.

Lys worked alongside Omera until it was their turn to go train. It was clear to her that Omera had had some kind of training, as when Din was leading them in firing exercises, Omera and Lys were the only ones to consistently hit a target.

The two women had exchanged glances, with something behind Omera's eyes keeping Lys from asking her about her blaster fire. Her past was something that she guarded close to herself.

Din had come over and pointed a few things out to Lys quickly before moving on down the line, helping the villagers better prepare.

She didn't see much of him that day, having to end up spending most of her time with Cara. Lys was small and quick, very agile with a dagger, not too shabby with a blaster, but she had no technique.

Everything she had learned was something from her own book of survival. But that left a huge gap and a lot of necessary unlearning. She frequently seemed to find herself with the wrong footing, and Cara had even gone so far as to call her hopeless at one point.

Determined to prove her wrong, once Lys had put the child to bed that night and before Din had returned from inspecting the now-completed barricades, she slipped out of the barn and went to the flat ground beside the barn and begun to move around, making sure that she stepped correctly and balanced on the right foot.

When she finally was satisfied with her progress, she returned to the barn, slightly covered in sweat, to find Din already asleep in bed. it appeared as though he was also tired, mentally exhausted from having to teach a whole village how to defend itself practically overnight.

This went on for a few more days, with Lys hardly seeing Din or the child unless it was at mealtime or at bedtime. She found herself missing their company, but she wanted to be able to help the village, and so she was focused on that. She worked hard, late into the night.

Lys would have said it was all for the village, but inside, she knew she needed to do this to protect herself. She had never been given this opportunity before, and so she knew to take it and make the most of the training.

Cara seemed to have noticed this, how Lys stayed later with her and improved more quickly. She was still far from perfect, but at least her feet were in the right places, and she was much sturdier on her legs. Cara even passed her a compliment.

But soon enough, the day came for them to go through with the plan. Lys found herself with the child in the barn, playing with the small metal ball, finally taking a breather, preparing herself for the night.

She heard someone outside the door, turning to see Din standing outside, his hand on the doorframe. She smiled, going to come out with him, realizing that he probably didn't want to get comfortable.

"The sun is about to set, and we'll be leaving soon," Din said to her. "And when we return, we'll be coming in hot."

"We'll be ready," Lys replied confidently, looking down at his hand, wanting to take it and squeeze it, but she refrained from doing so, instead choosing to bite her lip and return her gaze to his helmet.

Din was having the same thought, but he simply returned her gaze when, from the corner of their eyes, they saw Cara and Omera approach. Cara nodded to them, and Omera came up the steps to the barn to stand beside Lys.

The two women watched the warriors walk off. Lys found herself twisting her hands together slightly before Omera grabbed one of them.

"Come on," Omera spoke. "We have to get ready."

Lys agreed, and the two women got the children into the proper building, away from where the firefight would be before moving to the defenses. The sun soon dipped behind the trees, and darkness began to fall.

The villagers had gathered, taking up their positions behind the barricades, and they all waited in silence, listening for the sounds of a fight headed their way.

And soon enough, they saw two figures racing towards the barricades under the cover of darkness, and Lys was relieved to see Din and Cara slide into the protection of the wood.

"This is it! Once that thing steps into the pond, it's going down!" Cara yelled so they could all hear.

It was silent for a few more moments before the sound of something large, shuffling through the trees, causing Lys' breath to hitch in her chest.

"Weapons, ready!" Cara called.

Lys grabbed her blaster, the one she had snatched from the dead guard on Arvala-7, aiming it in the direction of the noise before watching as a large, red-eyed AT-ST stepped into view.

She waited with bated breath, watching as it approached the little trench. She watched as it almost went to step forward, but instead stopped only a few steps from the pond. Lys looked over at Din, when a bright light shone down, scanning the villagers and crude barricades.

"Get down! Get down!" Din hissed to everyone around them.

The light stopped, looking over at a few of the villagers before stopping.

"Fuck," Lys allowed a word to escape her mouth just as there was a red blast, and one of the buildings blew up behind them.

Everything then descended into complete chaos. The raiders came flooding towards them, and the AT-ST fired in their direction, causing another loud explosion.

Lys heard Cara scream for them to open fire, and she fired at a raider, hitting him square in the chest. She huffed, trying to ignore the chaos and focus on her fire.

She could just make out Cara and Din communicating to each other, before Din handed his pulse rifle to her, and Cara ran across the pond, sprinting for cover in the water.

Lys realized that the raiders were getting too close, and she reached into her pocket, grabbing onto her tiny dagger and racing out from the barricades. She knew Din would have told her to stay there, but she didn't care.

She was soon met by a raider, who paused before lunging at her. Lys stepped out of the way, ducking below his swing before tripping him up.

He regained his balance rather quickly, and Lys gripped tighter around her dagger. He managed to grab her and throw her to the ground, landing on top of her, and Lys struggled below him for a moment before managing to kick him where it hurt most, and she rolled out from under him.

She had barely managed to stand when he grabbed her from behind, and she cried out, letting out an angry noise.

But as that happened, she saw, out of the corner of her eye, the AT-ST falling down, collapsing into the ground. The raider seemed to see the same thing, and he let his grip slip, allowing her to slip out, her dagger poised at the ready, and with one swift move, she plunged it into his stomach, and he staggered backward.

Suddenly, there was an explosion, and Lys watched as the raider fell to the ground, the AT-ST in flames behind his body. All around them, the raiders began to flee, the undefeatable AT-ST having been defeated.

Lys allowed herself the opportunity to laugh out loud. She scanned the battlefield, noticing Cara and Din in the pond, breathing with relief. Omera was behind the barricade, her blaster now dropped.

The two women seemed to meet each other in the eyes and nodded, a sign of friendship and respect. The village was safe. They had gotten rid of the raiders.

As it became quiet, the raiders gone completely, Lys went over to the dead raider, her dagger still sticking out of his stomach. She noticed he wasn't dead, and his eyes pleaded with her.

They both knew that he wouldn't survive if she took the knife out. He would have a slow and painful death, bleeding out to the ground. Neither of them wanted that, so Lys knelt down, looking to the raider for permission.

He weakly nodded his head, having accepted his fate. Lys removed the dagger, moving it up to where his heart was and plunged it in deep, blood coming out and coating her hands and the dagger, and the raider was finally still.

She sighed before pulling the dagger out, standing up in time to see Din approaching her, relieved to see her alright. When he noticed the blood on her hands and the dagger, he froze.

"I'm okay," Lys reassured him, looking to her dagger. "It's not my blood."

Din looked to see the dead raider, two puncture wounds evident on his body. His eyes flickered to Lys, who was just beginning to register what she had done.

"I had to do it," she said out loud, more for herself than for him, but she needed his reassurance.

"You did good, Lys," Din told her, going and taking the dagger from her. He went and wiped it off before motioning for her to follow him.

The two of them moved away from where the villagers and Cara were cleaning up the battlefield, not wanting the remnants of the battle to be seen by the children.

Din took her to a secluded spot, helping her wash away the blood, taking in her numb stance. He washed away the blood before standing, helping her to her feet.

She didn't speak, and he decided to, "It's not easy."

"It's never been easy," Lys shook her head. "He wasn't my first," she admitted.

That's all she needed to say before she looked away from him, "I'm okay. I'm glad that this place is safe. And it will be safe for a very long time now."

"Me too," Din said. "Come on, let's get back. We should help them."

Lys agreed, and they moved to where the others were working hard on cleaning up and disposing of all of the materials and bodies.

They worked hard until the morning before everyone was exhausted, and Lys could barely keep her eyes open. She finally went to get the child, sighing when she realized he had slept through the night, and was wide awake.

"Looks like I won't be sleeping much, huh, buddy?" She said to him. "Let's get you something to eat."

She began to take care of the child, ignoring how tired she was until she found herself sitting in the barn, her back against one of the walls as she began to feed the child.

It was going well until she suddenly realized that she was, in fact, not feeding the child at all, and instead was holding an empty bowl as he looked up to her suspiciously. She looked over to see that his bowl of food had been left up on one of the stools. Lys began to laugh at herself, her laughter ringing around the barn.

"You okay?" Din's voice was heard over her laughter.

"No, well, yes," Lys shook her head, looking up as he entered, wiping tears of laughter from her cheeks, trying to settle herself back down. "I tried to feed him a bowl of nothing," she pointed to the empty bowl in her hands and the full one up on the stool.

Din seemed to look at her before finding himself chuckle right along with her. It was the first time Lys had really truly heard him laugh, and he moved over, grabbing the bowl from the stool, coming to sit beside her.

He slid to the floor, the full bowl in one hand, his metal armor on his shoulder rubbing up against her shoulder as he sat. The two of them chuckled for a moment, beginning to watch as the child ate.

But within a few moments, Lys' head began to droop, and soon the two of them had fallen asleep, with Lys' head resting against his shoulder, and Din's helmet pressed against the wall, his hand resting on her arm.

The child cooed, wanting to play, but upon seeing them together, he curled up between them, happy to see them so close.

If anyone had looked in, they would have smiled at the scene, the three of them all asleep on the floor, tired and happy from their long night. All three of them were happy, safe, and content to be in each other's presence.


	8. Episode 4, Part 4: Bittersweet Goodbye

It had only been three weeks since they had gotten rid of the raiders, and Din was finding himself in a daily rhythm. He was relaxed, and he slept well, his mind rarely burdened by his own thoughts for once.

In the mornings, he and Cara would occasionally take turns walking through the surrounding forest, keeping the place safe from any potential dangers. When he was done, he would return and often find Lys working alongside Omera, or taking turns with the other villagers, watching over the children.

He would find a seat on one of the porches, sitting and talking with Cara. At lunch, Lys or Omera would set some food inside the barn, and he could remove his helmet in peace. He always liked it when Lys would bring him lunch, she would come, and get him, the tray of food in hand before leading him to the barn.

She would set down the food and turn to face him. On the way out, she would brush by, her hand gently squeezing his before she would disappear back outside.

He began to look forward to that small touch. It was part of their routine.

Little did he know, but she too needed that small touch. As of late, she had heard a couple of people whispering about her relationship with the child, whispers that she didn't care for him.

She had been helping Omera in the kitchen one day when just outside, she heard two young women talking in harsh whispers to each other. At first, she ignored it, and then she heard her name spoken. 

"Ignore them," Omera huffed, coming and standing beside her. "They're young and foolish."

But Lys held up her hand, silencing Omera, and pausing. Lys leaned forward up against the sink, her hands clutching tightly to a clay bowl as she listened to the women.

"She hasn't even tried to give that poor child a name."

"I know. It's horrible. Do you think they might-" the second woman trailed off.

"I have no idea. I wonder if they'll kill him once he gets older."

"He's just a toy to her. There's clearly something wrong with her."

"Poor little baby, he has no idea."

"She's probably a little... you know, unstable."

"And her speech-"

"I've seen her tongue, it's honestly horrifying to-"

Finally, Lys had had enough and she startled herself as the clay suddenly shattered in her hand, cutting into her palm as she dropped it into the sink below. At the sound, the women looked in the window only to see Lys standing behind them, her face red and Omera at her side, giving the women an angry look.

The women were shocked and they quickly ran off, not wanting to be on the receiving end of Lys' or Omera's wrath. Omera came and took Lys' cut hand in hers and tried to examine it, but Lys pushed her away.

"Lys, it's not true," Omera started, but Lys shook her head and moved away, choosing instead to turn and walk out of the home quickly and go towards the barn, clutching her hand.

When she arrived, she curled up on the floor, and laid her head down on her knees, ignoring the blood that slipped down her hand towards her elbows.

In all her years as a slave, she had never reacted like that. Despite having been pricked and prodded, slapped and whipped, taken advantage of, and criticized. What seemed to hurt her the most was this.

It wasn't because she was emotional or sensitive, but it was that, for the first time in over 15 years, she had allowed herself to relax, rest, and trust in the people who were around her. She found the village to be almost like a family, even if it had only been a few weeks. But, despite her trust in them, their words hurt the most, and she was wounded in a way she had not been wounded in a long, long time.

She felt herself shaking, and a quiet sob escaped her lips.

"Lys?" Din's modulated voice rang from the doorway of the barn. "Dank farrik, Lys, what happened?"

She listened as he rushed around the room for a second, grabbing their stash of medical supplies before kneeling at her side, the clank of his armor notifying her that he was at her side.

She felt him grab her hand and pull it into his lap, the sting of water and Din continuing to swear in Mando'a as he noticed how deep the cut was.

Lys lifted her head, her eyes wide as she realized he had never really spoken Mando'a around her before, and she watched as he continued to mutter and cleaned the wound before wrapping it tightly.

Once he was finished and satisfied that she was no longer bleeding, he looked up at her, noting the tears still running down her face.

"What happened?" He asked, finding his calm once more, knowing that she was safe again. 

Omera had come and found him as he was returning from a patrol in the forest, and she had waved him over, telling him to go straight to the barn because something had happened. Before she could even explain it, he had taken off in that direction. 

He had never seen Lys cry before and hearing her choking sob as he approached the barn had almost stopped his heart. Finding her on the ground, curled up with blood running down her hand to her arms had startled him into action.

Lys shook her head, not wanting to speak because she knew she would sound ridiculous to him, and he would be angry with her.

"Please, Lys. You have to talk to me," Din said, staying down at her side.

"It sounds-" Lys choked back a sob, mentally hitting herself for her tears, but she still could not stop them. "It's so- so- stupid."

"I don't care," Din replied, looking at her through his helmet. "Take a deep breath."

Lys found herself breathing with him as her tears slowly subsided and she was able to take control of herself once more, "I was in the kitchen with Omera helping clean up from supper, and these two women were talking about me. And they said I was insane, and that we would harm the child and that we would even k-"

She shook her head, stopping herself from saying it out loud, and Din clenched his jaw.

"Who."

Lys shook her head, "I don't know. But it doesn't even matter."

"It does," Din stood, turning towards the door. "I'll be back."

"You're leaving? Don't leave," Lys found the words escaping her mouth before she could even process them. Din paused at the door, itching to go and have words with the women who had caused her pain.

Almost as soon as that thought came into his head, he froze. He had known this woman for no more than a month, and his entire body desired to protect and defend her in any way possible. It was dangerous. 

And even then, he gave in.

Din turned back to her and sat down beside her, allowing Lys to rest her head on his shoulder. He was certain that the armor there provided her with no comfort, but still, she sat there beside him, using him like a rock to lay against.

She perked up when she heard a child's cry, instinctually going and standing up, recognizing it as the child's.

"I can-" Din started.

"No, I'll go," she said quietly, standing and taking a deep breath, wiping tear stains from her cheeks. "Will you come with me?" She asked him.

Din stood, nodding before following after her. Lys walked around to where she had heard the children, with Din right in step behind her, his eyes never leaving her. She felt better with him at her side as she came and picked up the child, making sure that he was alright. He was only slightly comforted by her presence, his whines dwindling down until they were infrequent.

As Lys turned, bringing the child back with her to the barn, her eyes landed on the two women who had been talking about her earlier. She froze in her place, unable to break eye contact.

Din sensed her seize up, and he followed her gaze to see two women looking at them, whispering to each other. Normally, if it was anyone else, he would have gone over and shown them a lesson, but this time, he pressed his arm into the small of Lys' back and whispered.

"Keep going," he said gently, making Lys move forward.

The two of them moved, making their way back to the barn, choosing to call it an early night.

When they arrived back at their little place, they fell back into their routine. They sat together, playing with the child for a little while, allowing him to begin to get sleepy. This night, he seemed to stay close to Lys' side, only occasionally trampling over to take something from Din before hurrying back to Lys' side.

After a little while, Din began to remove parts of his armor, choosing to keep it close by instead of on. It helped him sleep. He stood to the side of the barn as he removed them, and he listened to Lys and the child as she closed the window and then tied the fabric together that served as a door for them. Usually, she hummed, but tonight, there was nothing but silence.

He then took the child and turn away, giving Lys privacy to quickly change into a dark blue nightgown. He was always tempted to look, but he never once did. Din didn’t want to scare her away from him.

Once she was ready, she usually turned and offered to take the child and put him down to sleep, but Din liked to do it. Most nights, it was quick and easy, but this night, it was not.

As soon as Lys had handed off the child, he began to cry once again. It was clear that he was sensitive to how Lys was feeling. She watched hesitantly as Din moved to the corner of the room, trying to hush the child. It wasn't working, and so Lys quickly changed and went back over to him.

"Here," she said softly. "It appears we've both had a long day."

Din reluctantly handed the child away, and he continued to cry, making Din shift nervously.

"Is there anything I can do?" Din asked.

"No, no," Lys shook her head. "He's been out of sorts since this morning, and I think it's worse now that he's seen me upset tonight."

She could tell that Din was uncomfortable, and she sighed, "I'm going to take a lap around the village. Hopefully, he'll fall asleep soon after."

"Do you want me to come with you?" He asked.

Lys hesitated for a moment before shaking her head, "I think most everyone will be in their homes. There's no need."

Din nodded, watching as she disappeared out of the door. He had begun to notice that she was having difficulty sleeping. She would wake herself up in the night and become restless for a few hours before the sun would rise, and she would wake up fully.

He knew that she thought he didn't notice, but every time he heard her breathing change, he was on alert, his eyes open and preparing to help her. He could tell that her waking herself up was some kind of reflex, but he wasn't exactly sure why she would do it.

He continued to think, beginning to fall down into his mind, as he often did. He hadn't even noticed the time go by before soon enough, Lys had returned.

"Din," a small voice called over to him, pulling him out of his thoughts.

He looked up to see Lys was standing in the doorway to the barn, her hands holding the child and her shawl still wrapped around her shoulders as the moonlight flooded into the room just slightly, outlining her figure.

"Is he-"

"He's asleep," she said, a soft smile on her face. "Finally," she walked over and set him gently down in the little crib and placing a blanket over him to keep him warm.

"Good," Din said, watching as she finally stepped away from the crib and turned to him.

"Will you come with me?" Lys suddenly said. "I'm not tired and could use an escort on a walk out there," she said, clasping her hands together.

"What about-"

"He'll be alright," she said, looking over to where the child slept peacefully in his crib.

Din stood, grabbing his armor and beginning to put it on. He did so quietly, as to not disturb the sleeping child. Instead of huffing or waiting impatiently, he noticed that Lys was looking down at the child's crib wistfully, her eyes wondering if she even was good enough to care for him.

"I'm ready," he finally said.

Lys nodded and turned to the door. The two of them made their way out and walked quietly through the village towards the forest. Lys was warm in her little shawl, and her boots quietly slipped through the grass as they passed the pools of krill.

They walked in silence for a little while until they reached the edge of the forest.

"He doesn't have a name," Lys said quietly as Din guided her through the trees and they continued to walk, in no particular direction.

"Who?" Din asked, looking down at her, but when he caught the look on her face, he realized. "The kid."

"Yes," Lys nodded her head. "That's one of the things they said," she referred to the women who had upset her earlier.

"Just because two crones decide we have to name him doesn't mean we have to. Besides, he's fifty years old. He may already have a name," Din huffed, stopping in his tracks.

"I know," Lys said. "Nevermind," she continued on ahead of him.

"Did you ever think about naming him before those women said something?"

Lys paused and turned back to look at him, "Yes, I did. Omera had asked me what it was when we first met, and I wanted to give her a name, but I couldn't tell her. And I want him to know who he is to me. To us."

"What would you call him?" Din asked.

Lys looked down and shrugged, "I don't know. I've never thought about it."

Din thought for a moment, "You treat him as your son," he said thoughtfully. "Even now that you are free to do as you please, you have remained with him."

"As have you," Lys reminded him.

"But I don't know how long for," Din admitted. "Life here is better for you two, even if there are crazy women saying crazy things. You are safe here with friends like Omera, and-" he trailed off.

"Are you telling me you're leaving?" Lys suddenly said, a change of tone in her voice.

"I have to get back out there sometime," Din said, shaking his head. "And traveling with me, that's no life for a kid. That's no life for you."

"How do you know that?" Lys said. "You haven't even asked."

"Look at me and tell me that you want to travel. I go and collect bounties, dangerous missions. I would never take off my helmet to look at you, and you would spend most of your years on a ship, hurtling through space. Look at me and tell me you want that."

Lys was astonished at the way he spoke to her. She stared back at him, her face contorted in astonishment and hurt. No words left her mouth, and she watched as he turned from her.

"We should go back," he said over his shoulder.

Lys watched as he walked away for a moment, her mind processing what he had said. He was right. It wasn't a life that she wanted, but she found herself wanting him around. She stepped forward, quickly walking up behind him and silently slipping her uninjured hand into his. It was a comforting gesture, just like the ones she gave him when she handed him his lunch.

She felt as he almost tripped up in his walk before closing his hand around hers, the gloves feeling coarse against her skin. Din looked down at her as the two of them continued to walk.

"I don't want to," she said. "But we don’t have to talk about it now. You’ll stay for a while still, right?” She asked.

"We have to talk about the future sometime, Lys," he cautioned her, maybe more for himself than for her.

"I know," she replied. "But not right now."

The two of them continued on in silence, with Lys feeling surprisingly better after their conversation and walk. She also began to feel tired, a little more worn out now that they had reached the outskirts of the village.

As they entered, Lys frowned slightly.

"We still haven't found a name for him," she said.

They had almost reached the barn when Din finally spoke again.

"Ad'ika," he said.

"Ad'ika?" Lys asked him, looking up at Din. She recognized the sound as a Mando'a term, but she had no idea as to its meaning. "What does it mean?"

"Kid. It means kid," Din shrugged.

Lys looked at him in amazement an amused grin now on her face. Somehow Din had managed to suggest something that would give the child a name but also give keep him from truly gaining a new name.

"What?" Din asked.

"It's perfect," Lys said before ducking into the barn.

Din followed after her, tying the cloth back together and turning to watch as Lys went and checked on the child. He allowed himself a smile before clenching and unclenching the hand that had just been holding hers.

He moved over and removed most of his armor once more before going and laying down in his bedding. He watched over the edge of the trunk that divided them as Lys sat beside the cradle, rocking the child gently before beginning to get into her bed.

"You're good to him," Din said. "I would’t say that to you if I didn’t mean it."

"Thank you," Lys said, a small smile crossing her face.

"Can I-" Din paused, sitting up from where he had been laying. "Can I move this?" He motioned to the trunk that lay between them.

Lys hesitated for a moment before looking over at him and nodding her consent. She watched as he stood, taking the trunk and moving it so that they could see each other when they slept.

When he laid back down, he turned his helmet so that she could not tell he was looking at her, but his eyes still wandered over, noticing that she was studying him, her piercing brown eyes filled with an emotion Din could not quite understand.

He suddenly reached over and took her injured hand in his, moving closer so that he could inspect it. He looked at it, the entire time feeling her gaze on his face.

"Thank you," she said. It was the first phrase she had ever spoken to him, and he knew that within those words carried a deeper meaning than just her gratitude. 

Din simply nodded his head beneath his helmet before he watched as she closed her eyes, her hand contentedly in his. Slowly, the two of them drifted into sleep.

Throughout the night, they must have shifted, for when Lys woke, she found her hand draped over Din's waist, her nose buried against his shoulder blades. She blinked, feeling that her body was pressed up against him, and his hand was still holding hers.

Lys shifted slightly, noting that his helmet had risen slightly in his sleep, and she could see the nape of his neck, where there was a hint of skin and dark, curly hair. Almost immediately, she closed her eyes once more, not wanting to see something she shouldn't, but she felt safe in this position.

"Good morning," Din's modulated voice came over to Lys.

She felt his hand finally let hers go, and she pulled away slightly, feeling her face flush red as he sat up.

"Sorry, I-" she trailed off, not knowing exactly what she should be sorry for. She found herself wanting to return to their position, cuddled up in the bedding as they slept together. She could sense that Din was also in the same mindset as she was, but he did not appear to voice it out loud. He didn't need to. But it appeared as though they wouldn't get this chance, as Lys soon her the child babbling beside her.

She rolled over and sat up, smiling over at the child, who had somehow managed to climb out of his little crib and was now at the foot of the bed, and she chuckled, going and picking him up, being cautious of her hand.

They soon returned to their normal routines, and Lys spent more time with Omera and away from the others. She also began to go on nightly walks with Din, their light touches and brief slips of affection becoming more frequent.

The days slipped by, and it had been another week before Lys began to think. She enjoyed his company, and she began to wonder back to their discussion from not too long ago, and so one evening, as they quietly left the barn on one of their late-night walks, Lys brought it up once more.

"It's been quiet here," Lys said. "But things weren't too quiet a few weeks ago," she trailed off.

"What are you getting at?" Din asked her as they made their way out of the village.

"What is your plan for us? Are we leaving here?" Lys asked him.

He was quiet for a moment as they reached the edge of the woods, and Lys waited patiently for his response.

"You and the child are happy here," Din said, more of a question than a statement. When Lys nodded, he sighed. "Like I told you last time, life on the road is no place for you or for him. And you seemed to agree."

"I suppose so," Lys nodded. "But, I enjoy having you here," she whispered. "I feel safe because you are here with us."

"You may be even safer without me here," Din tilted his head at her. 

"Is this what you think is best?" Lys asked him. "Despite-" she motioned her hand between them, unsure of what to call their relationship.

"I want you two to be safe above all else. Regardless of what I want," he said, quietly 

"Would you come back?" Lys asked him, taking his hand in hers, afraid that if she let go, he would vanish on the wind.

"I don't know," Din admitted.

Lys hummed to herself, kicking at the dirt slightly as they walked, “I don’t want you to go,” she admitted out loud. “But I can’t make you stay,” she looked down to the ground wistfully. “So it’s settled.”

Din stopped them, his hand pulling on hers gently, pulling her back to his side. He reached his other hand and touched her chin, pulling it so that she was looking at his eyes behind the helmet.

"Don't be afraid," he said. "I won't leave until I'm satisfied completely with how things are going here. A couple more weeks," he said.

"Weeks," Lys let the words fall from her mouth.

"Here," Din suddenly said, his hand moving from her face to his waist, taking the small silver knob out of his pocket, not wanting to see her upset. "Keep this. I'll have to come back for it someday."

Lys smiled and nodded, "I'll have to make sure Ad'ika does not lose it, then."

They continued on in silence, with Lys still holding tight to his hand. She wanted to hold it for as long as possible, the warmth and comfort bringing her an unspeakable joy.

They returned to the barn, and for the first time, instead of trying to fall asleep apart, Din removed most of his armor and pulled her in first, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder, her other hand on his chest.

"What are we doing?" Lys whispered to him.

Din didn't reply. He didn't know. All he knew was that he needed to hold her for as long as he could before he had to leave. There were lines he couldn't cross. Not with Lys; not with anyone. His helmet would remain on, his past would remain a secret.

He could share nothing more than his name and the comforting touches that they had now, and he didn't want to tell her that. He couldn't bring himself to do that, knowing that their time together was limited. And so he remained silent until Lys drifted off into sleep, soothing by the sound of his heartbeat and his hand in her hair.

When she finally woke the next morning, Lys was alone, and she sighed, knowing that Din must have been out, patroling the grounds, and so she spent her morning helping Omera.

At lunch, Lys found Din in the barn as she brought his food, her hand lingering against his as she handed him the tray. She wasn't ready to let go, and she felt that each touch needed to count. She turned to leave, but Din stopped her.

"I will find you after lunch. We should tell Omera of my plans," Din spoke.

Lys nodded in agreement before leaving him, choosing to skip lunch in order to go walk the fields alone, happy to get a break and think instead.

She knew that in the long run, it was better for them. She would have the freedom, the child could live a long, happy life, and they would be able to move on. Despite her emotions, she soon managed reluctantly talk herself into submitting to the idea before turning back to the buildings.

When she returned to the village, Din found her, and the two of them fell back into their usual, sweet silence as they walked back out to the fields to where they had spotted Omera working.

When they arrived, Din lined out his plans, with Omera looking cautious to Lys, seeing how she was holding up emotionally. She knew that they had become close over the last month there at the farm, and Lys had become attached to him. But upon seeing Lys' expression, Omera seemed to realize that it would be best for both of them.

They were still speaking of the plans when they heard the blaster fire ring through the village loudly, startling the birds.

"Go get the kids," Din ordered, immediately racing in the direction of the blaster shot as Lys and Omera ran the other way. Lys was panicked, looking for the child.

"Ad'ika!" She cried out his name when she spotted him trying to run after the bigger kids. Lys pulled him up into her right arm and grabbed another child in the other and raced after Omera, who quickly pulled them into the closest building.

Lys could feel herself shaking as she set the village child down, still clutching tightly to her own green-skinned child. She listened for another shot, but she heard nothing, only listening to the dead silence that had settled across the village.

After nearly five minutes of waiting in hushed silence, Lys heard Cara's voice ring out.

"You can come out again. You're safe now!"

Almost immediately, Lys opened and peered out the door, letting out her breath as she watched both Cara and Din walking back into camp unscathed.

Lys was relieved to see them both, and she stepped out, but based on the way Din was stalking across the field towards them, it wasn't good news. She approached, and Din motioned her away from the group that was gathering in front of Cara as she began to speak to them.

"What happened?" Lys asked, finding herself soon trailing down after Din as he pushed past the crowd, heading for the barn.

"We have to leave. The kid and I, we have to leave."

"What? Why? I thought-"

Lys suddenly froze, her mind drifting back to only a month ago, the red blink of the bounty hunter's beacon, "They're still looking for him, aren't they?" Lys said, her voice turning soft.

"They found him, Lys," Din said as she marched into the barn, beginning to gather his things. "We have to leave."

"I'm coming with you," she said, beginning to gather her and the child's things together.

"It's not safe."

"I was fully aware of what I signed up for when I agreed to follow you out of that bunker on Arvala-7. So I am coming with you. If only to keep you from getting yourself killed," she said. "Whether you want me around or not. I'm coming. Discussion over."

And just like that, there was not another word uttered by Din as he gathered up his things. He watched as Lys finished up gathering her things, and soon villagers came to help them load trunks and boxes into the wagon that would take them back to their ship.

Within an hour, the life of peace and calm was swept out from under Lys' feet, but for some reason, it almost didn't both her. She would be with the child and with the man she had come to care for over the past month at the place that had become their sanctuary.

Soon, the wagon was loaded, and Lys had set the child upon it, allowing him to look out as the others gathered. Lys hugged Omera, smiling at the woman who had become a close friend. They shared a quiet but firm spirit, and Lys felt that she almost could have been her sister, but as they parted, she knew that she would have to let her go.

She looked over as Cara finished speaking with Din, ending with a warriors' clasp. Lys approached and gave the woman a hug also before turning to see Winta race over to give the child a hug before returning to her mother's side.

Lys then made her way to the back of the wagon as Din laid down the last of the equipment. He then turned and nodded to Lys before guiding her to the back of the wagon and lifting her up into it. She sat back, watching as Din sat on the edge before tapping the ride to let the droid know it could leave.

And within moments, they peeled away from the village, the faint scent of krill, and the sight that had provided her with joy for many weeks peeled away, leaving Lys feeling a little empty.

"We're doing the right thing," Din spoke. "We'll be better on the road. And they will be safer too."

"I know," Lys nodded. "I know."

Before long, they had reached the Razor Crest, and Lys helped bring all of the supplies into the ship.

By the end of the day, they had gone from a life of peace and solace to one of uncertainty as they made their way, once again, off the surface of the planet and out into space.


	9. Episode 5, Part 1: An Old Friend

Din soon charted a path out of the system. He was tense and on edge for a while, and Lys sat silently, holding the kid in her arms until he had fallen asleep. She held him until finally she watched Din's shoulders relax, and he was clearly confident about having escaped for the moment.

That was when Lys found her chance.

"I want you to teach me," Lys suddenly said, startling the child, who had curled up in her lap and had nearly fallen asleep.

Din turned and looked at Lys, and in her mind, she could tell that he was looking at her, a curious expression on his face.

"I want you to teach me how to defend myself," she restated, louder this time, and more confidently.

"Why?" Din asked, turning to face her. "You've got your blaster, and Cara taught you a few things on Sorgan."

"Why?" Lys sputtered. "Because I've been surrounded by him-" she waved her hand down at the child before looking up again and pointing a rather direct finger in Din's direction. "And you! If we're getting chased across the galaxy for the rest of our lives, I feel as though I deserve a chance at survival."

Almost as soon as her outburst had finished, she felt her face burn red with embarrassment and she snapped her jaw closed and looked down at the ground, her conditioned response of silence taking over.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"No need," Din shook his head. "I can train you in basic defenses. Your aim with the blaster is already half-decent, but you could use some work to stay balanced."

"Oh," Lys said, peering back up at him. "Thank you."

Din nodded his head and turned back to the cockpit, pressing a few buttons before standing abruptly.

"Where are you going?" Lys asked.

"To train you," he replied, heading towards the ladder. He paused, seeing that she was still very much seated, staring after him as he stepped down a few rungs. "Are you coming?"

Lys nodded. She placed the child down in his little pram, noting that he was returning back to sleep before following after Din. They had a few more days until they would reach the next port, which would give her ample time to learn at least something.

She peered over to see Din standing in the middle of the cargo hold, where there was a clear space for them.

"Let me see what you've got," he said, motioning her forward.

Lys nodded and approached him cautiously. Before she could get too close, though, Din had reached out and pulled her down, swiping her clean off her feet. Lys cried out as she was pretty much flattened beneath him.

Din stood and shook his head, "Nothing. You gave me nothing."

"What? How was I supposed to know you would attack me like that."

"Again," Din said, reaching his hand down to help her up.

Lys furrowed her brows for a second before taking his hand. Only, instead of allowing herself to be pulled up, she yanked on his arm, trying to pull him down. But it was as if he had known she would do that, and she found him rolling to the side and flinging her over to the side.

"Come on, you can do better than that," he said. "Again."

Lys stood on her own this time, moving to attack him once more. She got only one good hit in, but she snapped her hand against his armor and hissed in pain, which gave him the upper hand, and she found her back against his chest, his arm wrapped around her neck. She tapped him on the thigh, and he let go.

"I thought you would teach me," she said.

"I am," he replied. "I'm teaching you what not to do."

"And when will you teach me what to do?" Lys demanded, stepping back from him.

"As soon as you've failed enough to wipe your cockiness from your face," he replied. "Killing the raider was just the beginning."

Lys furrowed her brows and stepped back once more. She hated thinking about the lives she had taken from others. That memory coupled with the new edge to his voice made her frustrated. She hadn't heard this tone from his voice before, and she wasn't sure she liked it.

"Forget it," she huffed, starting to turn from him. "Just forget I even asked."

Din watched as she began to walk away from him as he realized that the way he had been trained was probably not how he should be working with her.

"Lys, stop," he sighed. "Come here. Let me show you a few things."

Lys turned back to him, "You're not going to knock me flat on my ass again are you?"

"Not yet," he replied.

At his works, Lys' face seemed to soften as she rolled her eyes and made her way back to him.

"Alright. Watch and follow after me," he said.

For a few hours, Lys found herself learning new moves, what to do, and not to do in certain fights, and she was regaining a little confidence. Din watched as her fighting shifted, and she found a slightly sturdier balance, and he knew that with a few days, she would become stronger.

Once he was satisfied, he nodded to her, "We're done for today."

Lys let herself relax, and she wiped her brow. It was thick with sweat. She stepped back and reached for her shirt, pulling it up over her head, leaving her just in her bra and tank top as she went over to the refresher to put water on her face and clean up a little.

Din had watched her, his eyes tracing up and down her body for a moment before she disappeared to the refresher, and he heard the water run as she rinsed off.

He shook himself from his thoughts before turning to go up to the cockpit only to see the child standing there, right under the ladder, looking up at him. Din sighed.

"What?" He asked.

The child simply began to walk towards the refresher, knowing that Lys was probably inside.

"Whoa, no you don't," Din said, picking him up. "Give her a moment alone." 

The child whined in his arms for a moment before giving up, still content to be with Din. Din allowed himself a smile before going back up to the cockpit.

A few moments later, Din heard her exit the refresher and come up the ladder. When she came up, she peered over into the pram. Finding the child missing, she froze before she heard him cooing from Din's lap.

"Hey there, buddy," she said, coming to stand behind Din's left shoulder. The kid squealed when he saw her. "Do you want me to take him?" She asked.

"No, it's alright," Din said. "You should get some rest. It's been a long day."

Lys agreed, finding her body a little sore from their practicing. She descended from the cockpit before going over to the small little cabin and opened it.

She sighed as she peered inside. There was only one cabin, and it was mostly bare, with just enough room for her or Din to lay down. She was the one who used it, really, because Din chose to remain in the cockpit. Lys remembered how, in their earlier travels, that he had slept up there, and she felt guilty that he had never used the cabin. But before too long, her thoughts faded and she found herself fast asleep.

She must have slept for a little while because she was woken by the sound of soft breathing against her face. The child was standing right in front of her face, his hand reaching out to touch her.

"Well hello there," she said, sitting up, minding the top of the cabin.

She looked out to see that Din was standing outside, having just put the child in, and she scooted out of the door, placing the child in his little pram before stepping out and stretching.

"Have you slept?" She finally asked him.

Din shook his head, "Can't."

"You should try to," Lys said gently.

"Not while we're running," Din shook his head. He could tell Lys was worried about him. "As for your training, you're going to have to work on what you've been taught by yourself. I don't like leaving the cockpit. It's n-"

"Not safe, I know," Lys said, almost childishly. She was upset, but she knew that in the long run, it would be best for them to remain on alert. "I know," she tried to soften her voice to be more understanding. "If you'd like, I can sit up there with you and keep an eye on things while you rest?"

Din hesitated, but finally nodded his head, and the two of them turned up to the cockpit, allowing the child to rest finally. The two of them sat in silence, with Lys on high alert. Din would doze off occasionally, but he would soon snap back to being fully awake.

Lys kept her eyes peeled and her ears open, listening for anything around them and for the child down below. She was fully aware of every movement and sound around the ship, and she relaxed.

They were going strong for a couple more hours, having to drop out of hyperspace for a little while, but Lys could tell that Din hated it. They weren't going fast enough.

Lys took the opportunity to go down and bring the child, and she brought him up to the cockpit, finding him wide awake in the cabin. As she strapped him down, she looked to see Din was fully awake and tense.

"You could go below," Lys told him, noticing a slump in his shoulders.

"No, not while we're going this slow," Din replied.

And he was right because it wasn't long before there was a blip on the radar screen startled Lys from her thoughts.

"Uh-"

"We have company. Hold on."

Lys suddenly realized they were being hailed, "Turn over the kid, Mando, or I'll open fire," came a young man's cocky voice over their comms.

Lys peered over, looking at the scanner, noticing that they had been locked onto.

"Din-"

"I know," he said, suddenly maneuvering them out of the line of fire, just as she heard blasts behind them.

Before she could do any more, Din jumped into action. They swept away, turning and spinning out of the fire of the blasts behind them. Lys could tell Din was in hyperdrive himself. He was looking around, trying to spot the pilot behind them, maneuvering out of the guys' way, trying to shake him. But he was a good pilot. Din's hands gripped the controls tightly.

"Hand over the child, Mando," the pilot's voice came again. "I might let you live."

Suddenly, there was firing, and Lys had to duck as they were hit, and sparks began to fly. She peered over, making sure the child was okay before they were hit once more, the Razor Crest shaking.

Lys could hear the child whimper, when they were hit really hard, in one of the engines, and a couple of alarms began to blare, and Lys heard Din swear in Mando'a before flipping a few buttons.

"Hold on," he suddenly said to her, and she looked over, making sure the child was secure as Din put them into a quick diving spin, but it still didn't shake them. "Come on," Din said as he stabilized them for a second.

"I can bring you in warm or I can bring you in cold," the pilot's voice came over the comms.

At that, Din's stance changed, and suddenly, just as there was another firing, he cut the engines, nearly sending Lys flying forward, and she watched as suddenly, the pilot was in front of them.

Din managed to lock in quickly, and just as he had the bounty hunter in his sights, he spoke, "That's my line," he said before firing at the ship.

In a sudden burst of light, the ship was destroyed. It was a direct hit. Lys sighed with relief, realizing that they were going to be alright, but they weren't quite out of the woods yet.

She remained silent as Din began to quickly work on the ship, flipping and working on a bunch of buttons. There were a few more alarms, and Din checked something.

"Losing fuel," he said to himself, but Lys overheard.

She bit her lip as suddenly, he shut everything off, and they began to float through space. The child giggled, and Din quickly turned, checking to make sure he was alright before continuing to work. He stood, brushing past Lys to go to the back, turning on the emergency power to the ship.

He then returned to his seat and turned a few more things on before managing to blast them in the direction of a large planet. Lys closed her eyes with relief as they neared.

"Where is this?" She asked.

"Tattooine," Din replied. "Hold on, I've got to radio the nearest station."

Lys was quiet, listening as they were granted landing permission in Mos Eisley, and they quickly descended into the sky. Lys went and pulled the child up into her arms before strapping herself in.

She felt better when he was secure in her arms.

Of course, this meant that when they finally docked in hangar 3-5, the child was fast asleep.

"Do we have enough credits for this kind of repair?" Lys asked as they descended from the cockpit, and Din took the child from Lys' arms, holding him for a moment.

"I don't know," Din shook his head. "If not, I'll go find work."

"What about me?" Lys huffed. "I feel- useless."

"Stay with the kid," Din said. "Please."

Lys wanted to argue, but she finally took a breath and agreed, watching as Din opened the cabin door and put the child down inside. She watched, a soft smile forming on her lips as she noted how gentle Din was with the child, and the lingering look he gave him before turning to her, closing the cabin door to conceal the child inside.

"Hey," she said, reaching out and taking his hand, pulling herself to him. "We'll be okay for a little while," she squeezed his hand.

She felt him relax for a moment, leaning against her, her head in the crook of his neck before she pulled back sheepishly.

"Come on," she said, letting his hand slip from hers. "Let's get down there."

At that, Din opened the ramp to the ship, and they descended together, with Lys watching as three little pit droids began to make their way over to the ship, but were stopped when Din whipped his blaster and shot in there direction, stopping them in their tracks.

"Din!" Lys hissed, reaching over and getting him to lower his blaster before there was shouting.

"Hey! Heyyyy!" An older woman with curly hair yelled, coming out from where she had been manning the hangar. "You damage one of my droids, you'll pay for it."

She carried over a clipboard as Din spoke, "Just keep them away from my ship," he pointed over in the direction of the droids.

"Yeah? You think that's a good idea, do ya?" The woman spoke, looking around at how destroyed the ship appeared to be. "Let's take a look at your ship."

The woman moved around the outside, banging on it a little bit. Lys stood at Din's side as he watched on patiently for the woman to tell him how much it would cost. 

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were in a shootout," the woman called, looking back at the two of them. She muttered on, commenting on this and that, with Lys beginning to get impatient.

"Ask her how much," she whispered to Din.

"Wait," Din replied to her. they waited a few more seconds before she came over.

"This is gonna set you back," the woman said finally coming over to them.

"I have 500 Imperial Credits," Din said.

"And what about the little sweetheart here?" The woman asked, sending Lys a good look. 

"WE have 500 Imperial Credits," Din changed his voice.

"Oh. OH," the woman looked back and forth between the two of them. "Does she speak?" She asked Din.

"Only to people she likes," Din spoke for her, clearly also getting tired of this woman. "Will this work?" He asked, handing her the credits, trying to steer the woman back on track.

"That's all you got?" She asked him, before looking over at the droids. "Well, what do you guys think? That should at least cover your hangar."

"I'll get you your money," Din said.

"I've heard that before."

"Just remember-"

"Yeah, no droids, yeah. I've got it."

Din then turned to Lys and took her hands, "Stay here. I'll be back soon. Promise."

Lys bit her lip, nodding her head before watching as Din walked away, disappearing out into the streets of Mos Eisley. She turned back to see the woman looking her up and down, and Lys tried to give her a smile, but the woman was just staring at her, eyes narrowed.

Lys disappeared back up into the ship, checking on the child before finding herself getting bored. She watched the woman do a little bit of work before deciding to slip away for a few minutes.

Lys was dressed in newer clothes, made for her by Omera. The pants were black cargo pants, and she wore a dark green shirt that protected her from the sun. She also now wore her bronze ring in a string around her neck, knowing she would never take it off again. Her hair was tied back from her face, covered with a scarf to protect her from the wind and sand as it whipped around slightly.

She walked out into the streets, keeping her head down as she made her way to a market, hoping to get a few things for them to have. She had hung onto a few credits in order to purchase a few things.

Before long, she was feeling a little burnt from the sun and had gathered a few things from the market and made it safely back to the hangar. When she returned, however, she dropped everything in her hands when she saw the woman with her blaster in hand, pointing it at the ship, the child on the ramp, walking down, his ears drooped, and his eyes sleepy.

"Don't hurt him!" Lys raced over, pushing past the woman and picked him up, waving her hand. "He's mine. He's mine," she said those words, looking down as the child cooed, burying his face against her chest.

"Oh!" The woman spoke. "What- what is that thing?"

"He is-" Lys trailed off, walking back down the ramp. "I'm not sure."

"Does he have a name?" the woman asked.

"Not- not really," Lys shook her head. "He's in my care. In our care," she said, thinking of Din. "I'm sorry he frightened you."

The woman approached, seeing the child, and her face seemed to soften, "He's- kinda cute, you know."

"He is," Lys agreed, finding herself smiling. She looked over suddenly to see that one of the pit droids had gone over and collected the few things she had dropped from the market and was handing them to her. "Thank you," she sighed, taking them gratefully.

Lys soon set herself to work, making some food for her, the child, the woman who had called herself Peli, and for Din, if he ever returned. She made a simple broth, and they ate.

Before long, Lys was getting antsy again, and she could tell that the child was too, so she decided to take a quick walk. Peli had really taken with the child, loving how adorable he was, and so Lys practically had to pull the child from her arms.

"I'll be back in five minutes," she said. "If he returns before then, let him know I'm coming."

She disappeared, glad for the opportunity to stretch her legs for once. The stroll was nice, good for her to stretch her legs. She was able to take a break from some work and enjoy the peace of the desert fora few minutes.

However, when she returned, there was another chaotic situation at the hangar.

"Where are they?" 

Lys walked in just in time to see Din yelling aggressively at the droids and at Peli, dangerously close to their faces, with his fist clenched. "Bring the child to me."

"Din, it's alright," Lys said, coming over quickly. "I'm here," she said, stopping beside him and running her hand discreetly across the back of his arm. "She's been working hard, and we just went for a walk."

Din sighed, composing himself for a moment. When he had returned to find them missing, he had panicked, worried that a bounty hunter had come and snatched them away.

He scanned Lys one more time before turning to the ship and grabbing something. When he returned to the group, Peli mentioned a handful of repairs, to which Lys barely listened, her technical knowledge not as great as she wished.

"Thank you," Din said, suddenly to Peli before turning towards the door.

"Did you get a job?" Lys asked him, handing off the child to Peli before following him out the door, Peli hot on their heels, wanting to hear his response.

"Yes," Din said, stopping just inside the door, "Stay here. Okay? No more walks. At least not right now," he warned her.

"Okay," she sighed, "Okay. I promise you," she squeezed his hand before following him out the door only to see a tall, handsome young man standing between two speeder bikes.

"Hey Mando, what do you think? Not too shabby, huh?" The man called.

Lys froze as she scanned him, her mouth opening as she recognized the voice. She was frozen in silence as Din went and examined the speeder.

"Toro?" Lys finally spoke, catching his attention.

The man turned, hearing her voice, and he finally noticed her, and he stood upright as he took her in.

"Lysa? Lysa Averfel?" He asked. "No fucking way. Come here," he opened his arms out.

Lys gleefully raced over, allowing him to pick her up and pull her into a hug before twirling her around, placing a kiss on her forehead as he put her back down. His hands were still on her arms as he looked over her.

"You look-" he shook his head. "You look good."

"Thanks," Lys replied. "So do you," she flashed him a small smile. 

"You two know each other?" Din's voice broke the happy reunion.

"Oh yeah," Lys clapped her hands happily. "We were together in a mining camp for a few months in Tokmia. Kept me safe the whole time," she admitted. "I can't believe you got out."

"You either," he replied. That was when he noticed Peli, "Ma'am," he nodded his head before seeing the kid and blinking a few times, as if weirded out by the kid.

"I've been taking care of him," Lys said, nudging Toro. "Be nice."

"You? Babysitting?" Toro laughed out loud. "No way."

Din had watched the interaction closely. He could see the way that Lys had brightened up immediately when she had seen the bounty hunter. The way he had kissed her forehead, the body language, and the way Toro's hands lingered a little too long on her waist. Lys seemed to not even notice as the two of them began to settle in talking. She was comfortable around the bounty hunter in the same way that Din found she was comfortable around him.

In addition to that, it had been the first time that Din had heard her full name spoken. He was almost furious to have heard it from this man's lips instead of her own. He had to clench his fist to keep himself cool.

"We should get going," Din finally interrupted their conversation haltingly. 

"Will I see you when we get back?" Toro asked her.

"I'll be here until you two get back," Lys smiled at him.

"Good. Save a drink for me," Toro gave her another kiss on her cheek before heading over to the speeder.

Lys noticed briefly, the dangerous stance and clenched fists that Din had before he turned away from her. 

"Mando," she called to him, moving over and stopping him before he could get on the bike. She placed her hand on his. "Be safe," she whispered sweetly, helping to reassure him in a way he hadn't realized he had needed.

"You too," he replied stiffly, trying to not show too much emotion before getting on the speeder.

She furrowed her brows, wanting to reach out and stop him again, but the men soon hopped on their speeders, forcing Lys backward before they sped off across the desert.

"Oh honey," Peli's voice brought Lys' attention back to her and the child. "One of them may not be coming back."

"What?" Lys was shocked at the woman's words.

"Just saying, but neither of them looked too happy when the other got attention. Don't really think either of them like competition," she replied before turning and heading back to the hangar.

Lys hesitated, her heart sinking a little bit as she finally turned back to the hangar. It was going to be a long day.


	10. Episode 5, Part 2: The Betrayal

As night fell, Lys remained on alert. It was the longest she had been away from Din, and something didn't seem quite right about it. She hoped that both he and Toro would be okay. Soon the night turned into the early morning and morning into late afternoon, and Lys found herself in the ship, playing with the child. She smiled at him, laughing as he tumbled down the ramp in the middle of chasing the silver ball. She stood, going down the ramp to pick him up before freezing as she saw Toro Calican walk into the hangar.

Lys stepped around the child and raced over to him.

"You're back!" She said, throwing her arms around his neck. "Oh, thank the Maker. I was worried about you two."

But she froze, pulling back from him as he did not reciprocate. Lys looked around for Din before her heart sank. Toro was alone, and Din wasn't with him.

Lys clenched her teeth, taking a deep breath before opening her mouth to ask the question.

"Where is he?" She asked. "What did you do?"

"Fennec got him," Toro replied, unwilling to look her in the face. "You have to get out of here."

"What? No. Toro, no," Lys shook her head, backing up and going over to pick up the child, needing him close to her. 

"Where is he?"

"He's gone, Lysa. He's dead," Toro said. "Go into town, get a place to stay. I'll take care of a few things here and join you," he said.

"Wait, what? No. Tell me what happened. Sit down and tell me now," Lys pointed to a couple of chairs out of the way of the ship. She could feel herself trembling, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

Toro seemed to hesitate before going over and sitting. Lys could tell he was on edge, and a part of her knew that something else was wrong. He was quiet. Too quiet.

Soon Lys managed to get him to speak, and Toro began to explain their journey before finally getting to the worst part.

"He was fine, but a blaster shot at that distance..." Toro shook his head. "I couldn't take care of Fennec until early this morning and then I came straight back to you."

Lys found herself in shock at his story, unsure of what to believe, "Take me to him," Lys insisted.

"I- I can't," Toro shook his head, seeming nervous at her question, and he tried to change the subject, "I can't. Here, please, Lysa, take this and go find a place in town to stay. Let me take care of things for you here," he handed her a heavy bag full of credits.

"No," Lys said firmly, shoving the credits back at him. "No, Toro. You will take me to his body. I need proof," she felt herself begin to cry. 

"I need to see him again. Where is he?"

Suddenly, she saw his expression change, and he slammed his hand down, reaching and pulling out his blaster, shocking her into silence, 

"Dammit, Lysa, you ask too many damn questions."

Lys was frozen, staring at the barrel of his blaster, "What did you do, Toro?"

"Why do you care what happens to him so much?" Toro asked.

"Because I care about him! He's my friend," Lys found the last word come out of her mouth sounding strange.

"Oh, but from what I saw, you two are a bit more than friends, aren't you? Do you just go around the galaxy looking for men to rescue you?"

"What?" Lys exclaimed, getting up from where she had been seated. He wasn't making any sense.

"Sit. Down," Toro said, a deadly tone in his voice. He watched as Lys slid back into her seat before glancing over to see that Peli was still busy at work and hadn't noticed the situation. His attention then fell on the child, who was looking over in their direction, but he was too far away to interfere.

"First me, now him? How long were you going to lead him on for just like you did me?"

"Toro, that wasn't my intention," Lys shook her head. "Please stop. You and I were friends while we were there. What happened between us before I left was a one-time thing. Put your blaster down and help me go find the Mandalorian," she said. "And maybe he won't just shoot you."

"He looked like he wanted to," Toro scoffed. "I mentioned our time on Tokmia, and he seemed to get real weepy about it. Almost took a swing at me."

"You told him?" Lys was quiet, her memory flashing back to an intimate moment she had shared with Toro before she had been sold and taken from the mining camps on Tokmia. "That was supposed to stay between us."

"You broke me," Toro accused. "Once I earned my freedom, I spent months looking across the Outer Rim for you. Months. And here you were the whole damn time, riding around with some- Mandalorian shmuck," Toro shook his head. "You know he betrayed a whole lot of Codes for that thing you're carrying around like a stupid baby?"

"Toro, please! Stop!" Lys exclaimed, finally getting Peli's attention.

"What's going on here?" She asked, approaching. But by the time she noticed Toro's blaster, it was too late.

Lys watched as Toro fired it at her, a stunning ray shooting out, knocking Peli to the ground. Lys gasped, seeing the woman crumpled down, and she turned back to Toro.

"What is wrong with you? You- you're delusional! We were friends, we watched each other's backs, we had a one-time thing before I was forced to leave, and you became obsessed with it! Now you've stranded the Mandalorian, you've killed a bounty, you've threatened her and the child, and you've betrayed my trust completely!" Lys shouted at him.

"Be quiet," Toro replied, stepping to her and grabbing her arms. "Or I will make you shut up myself," he whispered, his voice getting dark.

Lys recognized that tone, the tone of a hungry and delusional man with too much power, and immediately, Lys snapped her mouth shut, praying that Din would return soon.

Toro grabbed her arm and dragged her over to where the child was, scooping him up into his arms and holding him, the blaster no longer pointing at Lys, but at the child.

"Go tie her up in the ship," motioned to Peli. "Any funny moves, and he's dead," he motioned to the child.

Lys quickly complied, her anxiety getting higher and higher with each moment that passed, and she was completely silent, not wanting to provoke Toro in any way.

She dragged Peli across the dirt and up the ramp into the ship before propping her up and tying her to one of the benches in the Razor Crest. When she had finished, she turned to see Toro standing very close to her. He reached out and used the tip of the blaster to come under her chin and make her look up at him.

"Once Mando is taken care of, I'll be taking care of you, my darling," he said.

"Never," Lys spat, her eyes still locking onto his face.

Toro shoved her backward, and she tumbled down onto the bench, "Stay here," he hissed. "Stay in that chair and be SILENT!"

Lys wanted to reach up out and slap him, but he had already turned the blaster back to point at the child. She knew that if she made one wrong move, Toro wouldn't hesitate to shoot him.

The group sat in tense silence in the Razor Crest for a little while as darkness came across the land. Lys's eyes never once left the child's face as he laid in Toro's arms as they sat across from her in the ship. Lys wanted nothing more than for him to be back in her arms, and Din back at her side.

Suddenly, as the night grew darker, there was a noise, and Lys turned from where she had been seated in the ship to see Din coming forward from the shadows, his blaster raised.

The bounty hunter raised his gun and pointed at her, "Up," he then moved and grabbed the child from her arms, and Lys lunged at the Toro, needing to make a move, but she was just thrown to the floor, Toro's foot going out and kicking her.

Lys yelped, alerting Din to her position.

"Awe, looks like you really can't speak properly," Toro drew on her biggest insecurity to make her silent. "Now get up," he spat, staring at her dangerously, his blaster pointed at her, the child still in his arms. "Move."

Lys had no choice but to follow his direction, and she was pushed out of the light, listening as Toro spoke, walking them part of the way down the ramp.

"Took you long enough, Mando," he said. "Looks like I'm calling the shots now, huh, partner? Drop your blaster and raise 'em."

"Don't-" Lys started, but she stopped when she saw Din move his head just slightly, motioning her to be quiet as he set the blaster down and stood up, putting his hands on top of his head.

"Cuff him," Toro said, using his blaster to push Lys forward. She moved towards Din, her eyes never leaving his face. "You're a Guild traitor, Mando. Bringing you in won't just make me a member of the Guild, it'll make me legendary. And taking your two favorite prizes for myself," he motioned to the child and to Lys before shaking his head and chuckling. "All the better."

Lys, at this point, was now standing behind Din, her eyes and hands reaching up to clasp him together when she suddenly noticed a tiny flare in his hands, and she allowed herself to smile.

He suddenly pulled it, Lys sprinting out of sight to go hide, and Din moving to the side of the blinded Toro, blasting him and sending him flying off the ship.

Din raced over, and Lys moved quickly, going to check on the child. Lys froze as Din kicked Toro's body over, and the child was nowhere to be found. Her heartbeat quickly in her chest as she looked around wildly.

"Where is he?" She said. "Ad'ika!"

Suddenly, she heard movement and a cooing noise and she looked to see that he was hiding behind some little barrels, and she sighed with relief.

"There you are," she said, reaching her arms out, and she watched as he ran over to her.

"What the hell!" Peli's voice came from inside the ship. "Is the bastard gone? How's the kid?"

"I'll go get her," Din said.

Lys watched as he squatted down, yanking something from Toro's belt before turning and making his way into the ship to where Peli was tied. 

She then took a deep breath and held the child, her eyes closed for a moment before she put him down and went to kneel over by Toro's body. She rolled him so that she could see his face, and she froze when she realized his eyes were still open, staring back at her listlessly.

Lys turned her head away to keep herself from getting sick. She took a few deep breaths before going and closing his eyes down so that he just looked like he was sleeping.

"You okay?" Din's voice spoke from behind her. Lys looked up, beginning to realize that she was crying quietly as she knelt beside the body.

"He was my friend," she whispered. "I just don't understand. He was... delusional. Nothing like the man I knew."

"Time changes a person, Lys," Din replied, reaching his hand out to her. "He betrayed your trust and mine. He got what he deserved."

Lys looked away from his hand, her mind flashing back to her time with him.

_It had started with a glance. When Lys was brought to the mines, she was thrown to work, her hands quickly bleeding from the coarse minerals as she sorted through them._

_A young man working beside her had nudged her, their eyes meeting for a brief moment as he passed his gloves to her._

_"Until you can get used to it," he had told her quietly._

_She remained silent, grateful for his kindness, putting on the gloves to protect her hands a little better as she worked. As night fell, she went to give them back, but he had shaken his head. A sort of silent understanding and comfort, saying that he would protect her._

_The weeks went by, and she found herself getting comfortable, his presence protecting her and keeping her from harm or harassment by the others. She longed to be near him, their friendship blossoming silently._

_As time continued, they began to talk, very quietly, whispering as they were looked over by the guards who monitored them. She discovered his name, where he was from, everything about him. And he discovered who she was._

_But then, soon enough, this peace and comfort dissipated as Lys found out she would be sold once more, and she fled to him for comfort. On their last evening together, they had laid together, trying to seek comfort they richly desired, with fleeting promises to find each other once more, even if Lys knew it was a delusion._

He had been her friend. Someone she had missed dearly, and to see him lying on the floor, eyes closed, death having arrived just shortly after freedom, and she shook her head.

"He didn't deserve it," Lys finally said, looking up to see that Din had dropped his hand. "Life took him in a direction he didn't deserve, and now he's dead because of it."

"I'm... sorry," Din spoke, realizing that she was shaking. His mind flashed to the way Lys had looked at Toro, and the way he had spoken about her on their trip. Even though he had been flaunting their past, he had still cared for her, deep down. And Din had been angered by that. Furious that someone else thought about Lys in a way that he had begun to think about her. 

But he also realized that Lys had looked at Toro with a look of regret, a ghost from her past, not the same way she looked warmly at Din, her eyes seeing beyond his helmet. And he knew that his anger was unwarranted, and as he looked over at Toro, he realized he regretted killing the kid, even if, deep down, he felt that Toro deserved it.

"Let me bury him for you," Din said. "Come."

Lys was astonished at Din's remark. He reached his hand out again for her, and this time, she took it, allowing him to pull her up and into his arms, her head resting gently against his beskar armor.

He wanted it to be his skin, his fingers desperate in a way he could not imagine, but instead, he remained silent, allowing her to rest there for a moment.

He then broke away, looking to see Peli was now holding the child, "Watch him. We'll be back."

He moved over, kneeling beside the body and picking up Toro. He then turned back to Lys and nodded before making his way out of the hangar.

They didn't go too far before he put his body down and began to dig as Lys watched on, her arms crossing over her chest as she felt began to let a burden fall from her chest.

Once the night rose to morning, Lys watched as Din covered Toro's body in his shallow grave. Din finally rose, coming to stand beside her, and she felt his hand reach out and take hers, showing the small comforting 

"We can't stay here for much longer," Din finally said quietly, breaking their long silence.

"I know," Lys nodded. "I just-" she took a deep breath. "It's a lot."

Din seemed to understand, and he squeezed her hand. They stood there, looking at the unmarked grave for a few more moments before Lys finally turned, and the two of them returned to the ship, hand in hand.

As they reached the hangar, Din let go once more as they made their way to where Peli was sleeping, the child in her arms.

She was startled awake suddenly, jumping up when she saw that they had returned.

"Well, finally," she said, clearly wanting to say more. "You- heading off?"

"We have to get back on the move," Din said, holding his arms out to take the child. "I believe we paid you well for your services."

"Yes, yes you did," Peli replied, reluctantly handing the child back.

"Thank you," Din said.

"Thank you," Lys also added quietly.

Then Din turned, the child in one hand, his other hand going to rest on Lys' back, guiding them back to the ramp and up into the ship.

They quickly got settled into the cockpit, with Din placing the child in his seat, and Lys getting herself strapped into hers. As he took off from the planet, Lys took a deep breath, glad to have gotten out of there safely.

"You alright?" he asked her once they had reached the atmosphere.

"No, but I'll be alright," she said, leaning her head back.

"I know," Din replied. "I'm glad you were with the kid."

"And I'm glad you came back for us," Lys replied. She hesitated for a moment, reaching forward and touching Din's arm. "What about you?"

Din was quiet for a moment. He spun in the chair so that he was looking at her.

"I don't know," he shook his head. "Hearing him talk about you the way he talked about you," Din shook his head. "It bothered me. And your name-"

"I'm sorry," Lys shook her head sorrowfully. "I should have been honest."

"Do you like being called Lysa?" He asked.

"No, not really," Lys admitted. "My father is the only one who really used my full name," she paused for a moment. "And I don't know what Toro told you happened between us, but you should know that it was only once, and I've never touched another man... if you were... worried about that," she realized that she was crossing some lines of conversation.

"I wasn't," Din lied right through his teeth. "I'm glad you're safe now. You're free to make whatever decisions you choose, Lys."

"I like the choice I've made now," she murmured quietly, pulling back from him and settling into her chair. "I like him a lot."

Din turned back around, a smile now on his lips from her words. He quickly put them into lightspeed before responding.

"I'm glad," he replied, his head tilting slightly so he could see her out of the corner of his eye.

"What's next?" She asked him, desperately wanting to change the subject, her mind pushing back the memories of Toro as she looked over at the child. "Hopefully something a little less-" she paused, thinking of the right word. "Dangerous."

Din thought for a moment. He knew someone he could reach out to, but he knew that if there was a job for them, it definitely wouldn't be 'a little less dangerous.' He forced himself to reply to her, knowing that she had already had a long day, and already was worried about the kid.

"It will be."


	11. Episode 6: Unchartered Territory

Almost a week later, Lys knew that Din had begun to look for a job and had reached out to an old contact. She decided that it was best to focus only on her training and on the care and well-being of the child, leaving the bigger picture up to Din.

He had mentioned to her one morning that he had found something, and was going to have a conversation with his contact.

In order to provide them with some privacy, Lys took the child down below, beginning to play with him instead.

As she played with the child, she could hear Din speaking forcefully with the man, and based on the tone of the conversation, he and his 'contact' had a rough history. Lys began to find herself worrying about the whole thing. It was sounding like a worse and worse idea the longer she listened in.

When he finally called them back up to the cockpit, Lys put down the child in his pram before sitting back in her seat quietly. Din waited for her to say something, but she kept her mouth shut.

For a little bit, he thought she might just be deep in thought as she had been ever since they had left Tatooine.

But as the silence stretched on, he found himself wanting to hear her talk. He finally turned his chair slightly to look back at her. She was sitting cross-legged in her chair, looking out at the stars around them as they flew along. She noticed Din looking at her before he turned back to the board, messing with a few buttons.

"What?" She asked a bit harsher than she had intended.

"You're quiet."

"Yes, I am," she replied.

"You're worried."

"No."

Silence.

"Actually, I am worried," Lys suddenly said. "This job. It doesn't sit right with me, Din. It doesn't."

Din sighed, turning his seat back over to her. "It's not the safest, but it'll do."

"I don't like it. We need to figure something else out. I just have this feeling-"

"There will come a point when we'll be run low on fuel and we'll need the money," Din said. "I'm not arguing with you on this."

"I'm not done!" Lys exclaimed. "Hear me out, please, Din. I just have a feeling that something's going to happen."

"Lys. I have to do this. Otherwise, we'll be running out of fuel and the bounty hunters will have no problem snatching the child up."

"If we need the money, then just let me take on a job," Lys spoke, crossing her arms across her chest.

"No."

"You didn't even-"

"Lys. Stop."

Lys snapped her jaw shut and furrowed her brows at him. They'd only been around each other for a month and a few weeks, and they were now bickering like children. She hated it. After their time on Sorgan, she had thought things would continue to be smooth sailing, but it appeared that she had begun to frustrate him to no end. And after they had nearly gotten killed a week ago by Toro, Lys and Din were both clearly still on edge.

"I'm going down below," Lys said.

"We'll be there in a few more hours," Din replied.

Lys took the child and returned below, playing with him for a little while. She hated arguing with Din, and she found herself rubbing her hands together. The child seemed to notice this and touched her gently.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she replied out loud. "We probably shouldn't be fighting in front of you, huh? You're just a kid."

She gave him something to play with, a little string that Winta had presented to him during their time on Sorgan. She then stood and moved to the wall, leaning against it, needing a bit of space.

She soon heard Din coming down the ladder.

"We're almost there," he said.

"Okay, I'm ready," Lys replied, beginning to turn away, but his voice stopped her.

"Ad'ika should stay here with you," Din said. "I don't want them to know about you or the kid. There's no telling what they'll do."

"Do you hear yourself?" Lys groaned exasperatedly, her head hitting the side of the wall in frustration.

"Stop. I already accepted the job, long ago. If you had said then that you didn't approve, it would have been a different story. But now I'm locked in."

"Come on," Lys huffed. "Can't you hear yourself? You sound like they've got you by the balls, Din. Just break it, we c-"

Suddenly, Din was in front of her, slamming his hand into the wall by her shoulder, scaring her into silence, his voice raised in frustration.

"Be quiet."

She was silent, her eyes looking to the floor, scared by him.

Almost immediately, Din regretted it. He saw the flash of the silent, terrified woman back on Arvala-7, and he clenched his jaw, reaching his hand over to touch her face, trying to get her to look at him.

But Lys moved away, slipping out from around him. He had backed her into a corner, and she wanted nothing more than to run away from that.

"Lys, I'm sorry," he said, turning to watch as she walked away, angled so that she could still see him out of the corner of her eye. She scooped the child up into her arm and held him against her chest. "I shouldn't have done that. Please, forgive me."

Lys didn't even look at him, and he knew that it was best to put a pin in it. She was no longer in the mood for conversation, and it would take her time to recover.

"Can you- at least promise me you'll be safe. That you'll follow what I say?" Din asked.

Lys finally met his eyes, still smarting from the harshness of their earlier conversation. But she nodded, knowing it was best for them both if she agreed.

"I need you to get into the cabin and stay there. Stay there no matter what happens. Don't come out until I open it for you and let you out myself. Please. You'll be safe in there."

Again, Lys nodded, her face becoming focused and serious as she looked up at him.

"Okay. Good. I'm going back up to the cockpit and landing this thing. You go ahead and get in. I'll see you soon."

With that, they parted ways. Almost as soon as Lys entered the cabin, she let herself cry. He had scared her, and she had never experienced anything like that before from someone she trusted wholeheartedly.

She listened as they landed, the ramp opening and Din disappearing into wherever they were. Soon Lys heard talking, and people entered the ship. She heard someone up in the cockpit, and she held her breath, hoping they wouldn't check the cabin.

Soon they left, and more people boarded, and she could hear Din's voice. They were speaking about something she couldn't quite hear. She then heard two people make their way up to the cockpit, and the ramp closed, signaling that they were taking off.

Din had made no mention of the ship being used as transport for something, and she shook her head. It was already going poorly.

She waited for a few more minutes before the Razor Crest took off, flying back through space, and she wondered as to what their destination was. Lys heard someone rattling around the weapons bay before it quieted for a moment. Suddenly, something slammed, and she heard a rough growl. Two footsteps were heard right outside the cabin, and she remained silent, praying the child would too.

Words faded in and out for a moment before she honed in on Din's voice.

"I did what I had to."

She couldn't hear what else was said, but it was quiet. Too quiet.

Suddenly, there were footsteps forward and a loud punch, right next to the cabin, and a roar before suddenly, the cabin door slid open, and Lys found herself staring right at a bald-headed man and a Twi'lek woman.

She was frozen, her eyes wide when she noticed Din standing to the right of the door. He looked over at her, clearly startled that it had opened. Lys had been sitting close to the door, and she stared up at him, her heart racing.

"Hello there!" The bald man half-whistled, standing up and walking towards her. "Who are you?" He asked.

Lys bit her tongue, her phantom habit returning to her in her moment of panic as she stared up at the man. He let out another low whistle as he approached. Then, from behind Din came a large man, startling Lys slightly. But her attention was soon drawn back to the bald man. He had noticed the child and widened his eyes.

"Got a family here, Mando?" He asked, looking up at Din before offering his hand out to Lys.

Lys shuddered lightly, but by the expression on the man's face, she knew better than to refuse. She accepted his hand, and he pulled her up out of the cabin, leaving the child in the cabin, untouched.

"No," Din replied to the man's question. "Just another job. I didn't think we'd be taking the ship."

"The name's Mayfeld," the man brought Lys' hand up and kissed it, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Hello there, girly," the Twi'lek woman spoke, a dagger balanced perfectly on the tip of her finger. "Just going to let the boys speak for you."

"No," Lys managed to choke out.

"What's your name?"

"Lys," she said quietly, feeling Mayfeld's hand sneaking out and wrapping around her waist. She went rigid, unable to look anyone in the eyes until Mayfeld's hand went and touched her face.

"Hands off the girl," Din finally spoke, his voice dark and low.

"Why? Because she's reserved for you, Mando?" The Twi'lek asked him.

"I promised someone undamaged cargo," he replied, making Lys furrow her brows at him.

"Man, that's just too bad," Mayfeld said, his breath hot on her face as he had his arm wrapped around her waist, and she could feel himself press up against her. "We could have had some fun with her after this one."

At that, he finally let go of her, and she moved away from him, allowing Din to step closer to her. That's when Lys watched as Mayfeld approached the child.

"What about this one? He some kind of pet or something?"

"Something like that," Lys spoke up, wanting to go snatch the child up, but she watched in horror as Mayfeld picked him up.

"Me, I was never really into pets. Didn't really have the temperament. Patience, you know? I mean, I tried, but it never really worked out. But I'm thinkin' maybe I'll try again with this little fella."

"Give him back," Lys said, feeling her fists clench up.

"Uh uh uh, girlie," Mayfeld winked. "You gotta give me something in return."

But before he could say any more, an animatronic voice came over the speaker just as they were flung forward, barely getting the chance to brace herself before they dropped out of hyperspace.

"Dropping out of hyperspace now. Commencing final approach now. Cloaking signal, now."

As soon as that was said, Lys was flung backward, watching as Mayfeld dropped the child and he rolled slightly, crying out, trying to catch himself. Luckily, Din fell right over him, managing to pick him up as the voice continued to speak over the chaos.

"Engaging coupling now. Coupling confirmed. We are down. And relax."

Lys watched as Din walked over towards her, handing the child back to her as she sat back on one of the benches in the cargo hold, catching her breath from being flung all over the place like a ragdoll. As he handed the child off, his hand brushed hers, trying to wordlessly reassure her before continuing on.

"Commence extraction now," the droid voice spoke again.

"That useless droid didn't even give us a proper countdown," the Twi'lek hissed as she stood.

"Z, you sure they can't see us?"

"The Razor Crest is scrambling our signature now, and I am inside the prison system," the voice replied. "It's impressive that this gunship had survived the Empire without being impounded."

"Alright," Mayfeld spoke, seeming to have regained his focus. "We got a job to do. Mando you're up."

Lys watched from the back as Din looked around at the group before going over to one of the hatches and opening it. She also furrowed her brows as she watched the Twi'lek and Mayfeld whispered to each other before joining the group.

Din pulled out some device that Lys hadn't seen before, before tapping into the cruiser they were trying to board. There was a clicking, and Lys realized he was opening the cruiser itself so that they could get on board. There was a beeping sound before it opened, and Din stepped back, wrapping up the device.

He couldn't seem to make eye contact with her as he put it away.

"It's me?" Mayfeld asked.

"It's always you," the large man spoke, his deep voice causing Lys to grit her teeth.

Mayfeld soon peered down before going down, with the Twi'lek and the large man following after.

"Din," Lys suddenly whispered just as he began to jump down. "I forgive you," she said, beginning to realize that the stress had been weighing on him, and their argument was no different. They had both taken it too far.

"Stay in the cabin," Din replied softly. "I'll see you soon."

With that, he jumped straight down, and Lys was alone with the child. She quickly returned to the cabin, her heart pounding as she found herself worried about Din. As the two of them sat there, Lys began to play quietly with the child, trying to take her mind off of what was happening outside the walls.

The two of them were alright for a while before Lys suddenly slipped and rammed loudly against the wall, making an echoing sound that caused her to throw her hand over her mouth and instinctively reach for the blaster that she had stashed in the cabin.

She watched and listened with bated breath, knowing that the droid was above them. Suddenly, she heard its footprints and the shaking of the ladder. It had heard them.

Lys hushed the child, thankful that he listened to her very well, and she waited, making sure that he was behind her. She was prepared to attack anything that opened the door.

The footsteps faded down to the end of the cargo bay before turning and making their way back up, pausing just outside the cabin. Lys knew that the droid was about to open the door, and as soon as it opened, she kicked out, hard, knocking the droid to the ground and slipping out of the cabin quickly.

She knocked the weapon from its hands, her blaster in her hands, aimed down at its face.

"Don't try anything," she said, suddenly able to hear the beeping of an alarm coming from the cruiser. She looked up that way before regaining her focus and looking down at the droid.

"You are being irrational. We are on the same side," the droid said.

"Same side? Really?" Lys said. "It doesn't seem like it."

Suddenly, she heard the child coo, and she angled herself so that she could see him, but unfortunately, she could not see that the droid had gotten a hold of his blaster once more, and he raised it to fire it.

Lys turned at the sound of a blaster shot, seeing the droid spark at her feet, and looking over to see Din standing there, his blaster in hand, and she sighed with relief.

"You're okay," she said, peering behind his shoulder.

"So are you," Din said, approaching her and pulling her into his arms, a move that Lys had not expected.

When he finally pulled back, Lys watched as a Twi'lek male climbed the ladder and entered the ship. She furrowed her brow.

"Who is this? Where are the others?" She asked.

"Come on," Din said. "He's staying right here in the cargo hold."

Din moved from her side, only to go close the hatch behind the man. It appeared that the Twi'lek was the only one coming with. Lys stared at him as he eyed her menacingly before she scurried back to the cabin and grabbed the child. Din said something to the man before following after Lys and ushering her up the ladder to the cockpit.

She was quiet as he detached them from the other ship and moved into hyperspace.

She could see that even then, he was tense, rigid with concern and worry.

"Din," she said softly, trying to make her voice soothing. "What happened?"

He didn't respond, and so Lys began to shake her leg slightly in her seat, still clutching tightly to the child.

"I'll tell you once it's all over," Din said, hoping his words would calm her.

Lys took a deep breath and consoled herself by stroking the child's ears and holding him to her chest. He gurgled in her ear, busy playing with a strand of her hair.

Within a few minutes, they had returned to the station where Din had gotten the job, and he told her to sit tight. She waited patiently for him before he returned, money in his hand.

"You got it," she said, letting some weight fall off her chest. He handed the credits off to her, nodding, but something was still wrong. He quickly sat in his seat, ignited the engine, and began to take off without a second word, making Lys frown.

"What is it?"

Din didn't reply, yet again, which made Lys nervous. She could tell that he was trying to get them out of there as fast as possible, and she rubbed her hands together again.

"Din."

They weren't too far from the station when suddenly, three X-Wings dropped out of hyperspace, and Din swerved around them at the last second. Once they were out of range, Lys peered out the window and watched as they shot at the station, beginning to blow it to shreds when Din finally jumped into hyperspace.

He paused for a few seconds before Lys heard him let out a loud sigh.

"You did tell me that was a bad idea," he chuckled, making Lys roll her eyes and relax. She watched as he turned and gave the little silver ball to the child before looking over at her.

"What the hell even happened down there?" She asked. "And what happened to all the people you came with?"

"They're all nicely locked in one of those jail cells on the Republic prison," Din chuckled before shaking his head. "Tried to kill me, but I got away. You had made me paranoid, so I was ready for it."

"I'm glad my pestering paid off, then," Lys said. "Let's say we don't ever do that again."

"Agreed," Din replied, looking Lys over as she sat there with the child. He took a deep breath and spoke again, "Lys," his tone had taken a serious edge to it.

"Yeah?" She asked timidly.

"I want to apologize for scaring you before when we were arguing. It- it's the last thing I ever wanna do," he said.

"It's okay," Lys replied, looking down.

She felt his hand on her face, pulling her face up to look at him. She hoped that her eyes were meeting his behind the helmet.

"It's not," he said. "Don't let me do it again. I won't do it again."

Lys nodded her head, letting a soft breath out as his gloves hand left her face and he turned back around. It was quiet for a moment as Lys bit her lip, thinking of what had happened.

She shuddered slightly, thinking of the bald man, Mayfeld, who had touched her and spoken to her degradingly.

"Did you get a good punch in for me?" She finally asked.

"Mayfeld's got a broken nose," Din replied.

"Good."

"When he touched you-" Din trailed off, opening and closing his fists, his jaw tightening under his helmet.

Lys suddenly reached out to him and touched his shoulder.

"I'm okay now," she nodded. "It's over with," they sat together in silence for a moment before Lys took a deep breath. "What's in store for us next?"


	12. Episode 7, Part 1: The Decision

They had only been traveling for a matter of days when Din received an urgent communication as they approached a new sector of the Outer Rim.

When Lys peered around him from where they sat in the cockpit, she was shocked to see, in holographic form, the blue outline of the man, Greef Karga, who had stopped them as they had tried to make their exodus from Nevarro a couple of months ago. She had thought him dead after Din had shot him out the back of the Razor Crest.

"My friend, if you are receiving this transmission, that means you are alive," he spoke.

Lys rolled her eyes at the use of his word 'friend.' It wasn't as if Din hadn't pretty much killed him the last time they had seen each other.

"You might be surprised to hear this, but I am alive too. I guess we can call it even. A lot has happened since we last saw each other. The man who hired you is still here, and his ranks of ex-Imperial guards have grown. They have imposed despotic rule over my city which has impeded the livelihood of the Guild. We consider him an enemy, but we cannot get close enough to take him out. If you would consider one last commission, I will very much make it worth your while," it was clear that he had a proposition mind, but Lys shook her head.

She was shocked as Din continued to listen, watching the holographic image as Greef continued to speak.

"You have been successful so far in staving off their hunters, but they will not stop until they have their prize. So here is my proposition. Return to Nevarro. Bring the child as bait. I will arrange an exchange and provide loyal Guild members as protection. Once we get near the client, you kill him, and we both get what we want. If we succeed, you keep the child and I will have your name cleared with the Guild, for a man of honor should not be forced to live in exile. I await your arrival with optimism."

"No," Lys immediately said, as soon as Greef Karga disappeared from the screen. But Din was frozen for a moment, his chair turning to look behind him at the child, who snored peacefully in his pram.

"No," Lys repeated more firmly. "You shouldn't even have to think about it, Din. The answer is no, and you should get us out of this system. Now."

"We'll never stop running," Din said.

"No."

"This will give him and you the chance at having a normal life."

"Yes, maybe, but it is most definitely a trap and a complete waste of our time, just like the last one. So no. The answer is no!" Lys found herself getting frustrated that he wasn't listening to her. "You shouldn't even have to think about it."

"Lys," Din's voice spoke calmly, turning to look at her. "I have a plan."

"Like you normally do?" Lys scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest, beginning to realize that Din wouldn't back down from the idea.

"A bit better," he said. Din began to click a few buttons, preparing them for hyperspace, but Lys stood up from her seat and went to stand between Din and part of the control panel.

"Lys-"

"Why aren't you listening to me?" She asked him. "The last time something happened, I was right. It was a trap then, so it's most certainly a trap now."

"You don't know that," Din shook his head. "But I have a plan."

"Okay, and what is it?" She asked, still blocking his arm from putting them into hyperspace.

She watched as Din sighed, his helmet tilting slightly. He seemed pensive for a moment, scanning the way that she was staring at him, indignant and unmoving.

"Do you trust me?" He said so quietly that Lys furrowed her brows.

"What?"

"Do you trust me?" His tone was serious and genuine.

Lys took a deep breath, letting the question sink in. He wasn't going to tell her the plan, but she knew that her answer would affect what would happen. If she told him no, then he wouldn't go through with it, and they would be chased across the galaxy for the rest of their lives, and it would wound their relationship. But if she said yes, she was putting her life in his hands, to do with as he pleased.

She studied his helmet, watching him as he waited for her response patiently.

"Yes," she whispered finally. "With my life."

"Then let me do this," he replied.

"Can you promise me that we'll make it out of there alive?"

It was Din's turn to be silent, "I can't promise anything, Lys, you know that. But I'm pretty damn sure that we will."

And with that, Lys sighed, stepping back over to her seat and strapping herself in.

"You sure you're okay with this?" Din aSked her over his shoulder.

"No," Lys shook her head. "But I'm willing to trust you with it."

And with that, Din reached over the panel, pulling the lever. Lys held her breath as they jumped off to hyperspace. It was quiet for a few moments as the stars began to fly by.

"Can you at least tell me what we're doing?" She finally spoke up.

"First we need someone," Din said, swinging his chair to look at her.

"Who?"

"A former shock trooper."

Lys found herself smiling, despite her frustration with him. It was a stupid idea. It was possibly one of the worst ideas Din had come up with.

When they finally arrived back at Sorgan, they landed near the village where they had met Cara two months prior. Lys had often found herself desperately wanting deep down to return to the small farming village as they had traveled, but she knew that if they ever stopped there, she would never be able to leave.

As soon as they set down on the planet, they were on the move. They descended from the ship and made their way into the town quickly. Lys allowed the child to walk with them, smiling to herself as he pattered along quickly beside them in order to keep up with their pace.

The child had perked up, and so had Din upon returning to the planet. As they approached the doors of the building, the sounds of fighting and cheering came from within. When they entered, Lys couldn't see over the crowd, but Din seemed to have spotted her as he shook his head.

"Cara's winning fights," he said, chuckling to himself.

"I wouldn't expect any less from her," Lys replied, watching as the crowd disbanded, and Cara was revealed, yelling to people to pay up.

Din motioned the small group forward toward her. Lys turned and made sure the child was at her side before following.

"Looking for some work?" Din called his friendly greeting, to which Lys rolled her eyes and nodded politely in Cara's direction.

It wasn't long before they were sitting at a table, with Din and Lys next to the child, Cara sitting across from them, much like the day they met. Lys sipped on her spotchka, listening as Din detailed the plan out to Cara.

He had already given her an outline before they had landed on Sorgan, and she felt a little more confident than she had been initially. She absentmindedly swirled her finger around the edge of her glass until she felt a strong hand reach over and rest on her leg comfortingly, rubbing one finger up and down her thigh.

She peered up to see that Din hadn't skipped a beat in his conversation with Cara as he did this. Lys, on the other hand, was rigid at the contact, her heart beating fast in her chest. Her mind flashed to the way she had felt when he had held her tight after his last mission with the mercenaries.

Lys reached down and placed her hand on top of his, her brain churning too quickly to even make out what was being said. She looked over to see that Din had also turned to look at her as she took his hand.

Their fingers laced together for a brief moment before Din pulled away, leaving Lys to sigh at the loss of contact. Instead, she was forced to take a deep breath and peered over, checking on the child, who was babbling to himself as Cara and Din spoke.

It wasn't much longer until Din had finished the plan in detail. Lys perked up when suddenly Cara sighed.

"I don't know, I'm not in the mood to play soldier anymore," she shook her head. "Especially fighting some local warlord."

"He's not a local warlord. He's Imperial," Din shook his head.

Cara raised an eyebrow and took a long drink of her spotchka, "I'm in."

Lys eyed the woman. She couldn't believe how quickly the mention of kicking some Imperial ass had gotten Cara on board.

"Good," Din spoke. "We should get going."

The group stood, with Din throwing down a few credits for Lys' and Cara's spotchka before they made their way to the ship.

Lys sat the child in her lap as they took off, leaving Sorgan once more. Once they were out on autopilot, Din stood and motioned for Cara to follow him, beginning to talk about the plan as they made their way down to the cargo bay to look over supplies. Lys trailed down right behind.

"He okay up there alone?" Cara asked.

Lys looked up and nodded, "Yeah, he'll be fine."

Din had just opened the weapons hold, with Cara descending right after, practically whistling as she took in the inventory. Lys peered past her, taking in the sight also.

He was pretty particular about his weapons, and she had only seen glimpses of the setup before. He noticed her looking, reached in, and grabbed a small dagger. He brought it out so that she could see it, and her eyes sparkled slightly.

It was about the same size as the one she had taken off of the mercenary a couple of months ago. It was a little heavier, but Lys assumed it had some components of beskar metal, due to the sheer brightness and reflectivity of the hilt and point.

"Keep it. It's sturdier than your old one," Din said gently, his tone shifting between his words with Cara and his words with Lys. He turned back to Cara and spoke. "Pick one."

Lys plopped down on the ladder, watching as Din and Cara continued to talk, testing out the new dagger that Din had given her, balancing it on her finger.

"Do you trust this contact?" Cara asked.

"Not particularly," Din shook his head.

"Not at all," Lys pipped in, narrowing her eyes at Din, slipping the dagger in beside her old one. "We had a bit of a run-in last time Mando here was there on business."

"So then why are we going?" Cara asked, directing her question towards Din.

"We don't have a choice," Din shook his head. "You saw what happened on Sorgan. They'll keep sending hunters. The kid won't be safe until the Imp is dead."

"And you're okay with bringing him back there?"

"Not really. That's why I'm bringing you," Din said, now leaned up against the wall beside Lys. His hand was brushing up lightly against her arm as the conversation continued.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling, and Lys was almost flung from the ladder. A beeping sound was coming from the cockpit. Lys managed to grab hold of the ladder and began to climb, with Din and Cara hot on her heels.

When she reached the top, she was flung to the side, with Din managing to pass her. She could just barely see the child was messing with the joystick, making them fly all over the place.

Lys managed to balance herself just as Din picked the child up and thrusted him towards her. Lys quickly sat down in one of the seats as Din sat in the pilot's seat, sending everything back to normal, the alarms no longer blaring.

"That's it, someone has to watch that thing," Cara shook her head.

"I can," Lys said.

"I don't need you distracted," Din shook his head. "If you're coming with, I need you to be focused on the plan and alert. I don't want to risk either of you getting injured."

"Got someone you can trust?" Cara replied.

Lys immediately looked to Din, and it seemed that they both had the same idea in mind, "Kuiil," she said softly.

"That's what I was thinking," Din replied, nodding his head. "Come on, let's get going."

With that, he changed the destination, with both Cara and Lys strapping in together. Lys looked down at the child, who was still giggling from the prior experience and shook her head.

"You know better than to do that stuff," she wagged her finger. "Maker, I have no idea how you got by before me."

"Probably wreaked a lot of havoc," Cara commented.

Lys thought back to the day they had met and shook her head, "Most definitely," she chuckled.

They made mostly idle small talk during the trip to Arvala-7. Lys could feel herself getting nervous the closer they got and she had to excuse herself for a moment, needing to get some air as they neared the place where she had last been enslaved.

She paced the cargo bay for a few moments before she heard Din's voice come towards her.

"You okay?" He asked her.

She looked over to see that he had just stepped off the ladder, leaving Cara and the child up in the cockpit together.

"Yeah, I'm just nervous, I suppose," Lys flashed him a half-smile. 

"Because we're returning to Arvala-7?"

"Maybe," she shrugged, pacing a little more. "Honestly it's just the whole thing. I just don't want anything to happen to you or the kid."

"I'll keep you safe and the kid," Din said.

"But who's going to keep _you_ safe?" Lys asked.

Din was quiet for a moment, "That's why I brought Cara along, Lys," he said quietly. "And you've had training, Kuiil will be good for the child, and I'll be there the whole time."

"Okay," Lys nodded, putting a half-smile on her face. "Just- promise me you'll be careful."

"Promise."

Then, Din did something wholly unexpected. He made his way closer to her, reached out and pulled her into his chest, allowing her arms to come and wrap around the base of his neck.

Lys could feel the cold Beskar against her skin, but she didn't mind it, and she laid her head against his shoulder, letting out a soft sigh. The last time he had held her like this had been the quick and reassuring embrace after the mission with Mayfeld.

Being close to Din helped her to breath better, and she was thankful that he didn't let go until she did. Once they had broken apart, Lys watched as he suddenly took off one of his gloves, and his hand reached up and touched her face.

His fingers were soft as they danced across her cheek, protected from his line of work by the thick gloves. But when his palm came to cup her chin, she could feel the callouses from where he held his blaster, the rough and worn skin comforting her in a way she had never known before.

She reached up and touched the back of his hand with her own, her eyes never leaving his helmet as she brought his hand to her lips gently and affectionately before allowing his fingers to slip into her own hand and drop from her face once more.

"I have thought about kissing you a hundred times," Din finally let those words leave his mouth. "But I can't."

"I know," Lys nodded her head, a sad smile filling her face as she looked up at him, her fingers now resting between his as they stood there.

She allowed her other hand to go up and touch his helmet, tracing its lines as if it was his face.

"But the Way of the Mandalore is yours to follow, and I will never be the reason you break it," Lys said softly. "I swear to that."

"Thank you," Din spoke.

Her promise meant more to him than he could ever voice out loud. Never in his life had he felt such a strong connection to another person in the way that he was connected to her and the child. In only a couple of months, they had become his whole world, and he would not stop until they were safe.

And maybe then. Just maybe then he could find a way for Lys to see him. Really see him.

"Hey, lovebirds, we're almost there!" Cara's voice yelled from the cockpit, bringing them out of their own little world.

"We should go up, I suppose," Lys sighed, allowing her hand to drop from his helmet.

"I will watch out for you, and I will be careful," Din reassured her, putting his glove back on. "I swear to that," he repeated her same promise, and she relaxed.

"Time to see Kuiil," she nodded and the two of them made it back up to the cockpit.

It wasn't long before they descended, stopping right outside of Kuiil's farm. Lys placed the child in the sling before following after Din and Cara.

Kuiil looked the same as he had, and when he saw them approaching, he welcomed them into his home. He eyed the child in the sling as they passed, clearly surprised to see them with him.

When they arrived inside, they were seated, Cara on the left of a long table, Din to the right, and Lys and the child in between them.

Lys allowed the child to pop his head out and turn to see Kuiil, cooing at the recognizable face.

"It hasn't grown much," he said to Din.

"I think he might be a strand-cast," Din said, causing Lys to look over at him, a surprised expression on her face.

"I don't think it was engineered. I've worked in the gene farms. This one looks evolved. Too ugly," he motioned to the child.

Lys raised an eyebrow at his words, looking down to where the child sat, cooing in his sling. His little ears twitched. She huffed. He was pretty cute.

"This one, on the other hand," he pointed to Cara. "Looks like she was farmed in the Cytocaves of Nora."

"Kuiil," Lys spoke, allowing him to hear her speak for the first time.

"You speak, then?" Kuiil interrupted her.

"Now I speak more freely, yes," Lys nodded her head.

"I am glad."

"This is Cara Dune. She was a shock trooper," Din finally managed to introduce Cara, realizing that that was what Lys had intended to do.

"You were a Dropper?" Kuiil turned his attention to the woman.

"Did you serve?"

"On the other side of the war, I'm afraid. But I am proud to say that I paid out my clan's debt, and now I serve no one but myself," Kuiil said, sitting down.

"Me too, you know," Lys admitted, looking over to Cara. "I was bought by the Empire during the war," she didn't add any more, because just as she spoke, from the door came the same IG-11 droid that had been hunting the child a few months ago.

"NO!" Lys cried out, seeing the droid she had thought dead, covering the child once more with her body as Din and Cara both stood abruptly, aiming their blasters at the droid.

It was quiet and tense for a moment before the droid spoke.

"Would anyone care for some tea?"

Lys peered out from behind her shoulder as the IG-11 droid stepped in towards them.

"Please lower your blasters, he will not harm you!" Kuiil said, also standing and motioning for the group to sit.

"That thing is programmed to kill the baby," Din said, a rough growl at the back of his throat.

"Not anymore," Kuiil said.

Lys slowly sat back up, the child still protectively curled up in her arms, and she took a deep breath, watching as Din began to sit down, keeping one arm in front of her, knowing he would be able to deflect any bullets or any attacks if the droid made them.

"It was left behind in the wake of your destruction. I found it lying where it fell. Devoid of all life. I recovered the flotsam and staked it as my own in accordance with the Charter of the New Republic. Little remained of its neural harness. Reconstruction was quite difficult but not impossible. It had to learn everything from scratch. This is something that cannot be taught with the twist of a spanner. It requires patience and repetition. I spent day after day reinforcing its development with patience and affirmation. It developed a personality as its experiences grew," Kuiil finished his story as the droid began to pour the tea.

"Is it still a hunter?" Din asked, still eyeing the droid, his stance hostile.

"No. But it will protect," Kuiil said.

Lys realized that Din was still staring the droid down and the silence grew until the droid suddenly spoke.

"Tea?" It asked, to which Cara accepted.

Din sighed, and Lys felt his hand move to touch her shoulder, still not exactly comfortable with the IG-11 droid. All Lys could do was stare at it, waiting for the moment it would attack her again, but it seemed to just look around, a meek little droid now, nothing like the blaster-wielding droid from months ago, and she found herself take a breath, settling her heart and her mind.

Sensing her relaxing, Din looked over and sighed as she took tea from the droid.

Kuiil nodded to them, and Din made his way outside. Lys remained inside with Cara, still eyeing the droid as she sipped her tea.

Soon enough, Kuiil returned alone. Lys peered at the door, waiting for Din to walk through, but he didn't, and Lys stood.

"Excuse me," she whispered, standing with the child. "Would you- watch him for a moment?" She turned to Cara, who nodded, taking the child from Lys, holding him out in front of her, clearly unused to caring for little creatures, as Lys stepped out.

The sun had already begun to set, and Lys saw Din making his way to the Razor Crest.

"Din, what did he say?" She called to him.

He stopped and turned, watching her as she approached, "He said yes, with a few conditions."

Lys hummed, "And they are?"

"He's bringing IG-11 and the Blurrgs," Din shrugged.

"The- Blurrgs? IG-11? What, why?" Lys asked.

"Don't ask me, I'm not happy about the droid coming either."

Lys wrinkled her nose, "We have to trust him, though. We don't really have a choice."

"No, we don't," he admitted.

Soon enough, everyone and everything was loaded onto the Razor Crest, and they took off on the day-long trip to Nevarro. Lys found herself watching as Din and Cara were facing off against each other in an arm-wrestling match. The child was in his pram beside her, and she sat back, shaking her head, an amused expression on her face as they teased each other.

"I got you, Mando," Cara said.

"Care to double the bet?" Din replied.

Lys shook her head, watching intently as they continued to wrestle until Cara got a strange look on her face.

"Cara?" Lys asked.

She watched as Cara let go of Din's hand and began to grasp at her neck. That's when Lys turned and looked down to see that the child was holding his hand out towards Cara, eyes half-closed and face in a frown.

"No, no, no, no! Stop!" Lys cried, standing abruptly and snatching the child up, pushing his hands down. She could feel Din standing close to her, having also noticed the child's hand outstretched.

"Cara is our friend," Din chastised the child roughly from over her shoulder

"They were just playing as you and I do, Ad'ika," she said, using his pet name. She sighed as he began to cry, startled by being told off by both of them. Lys hushed him then turned back to make sure that Cara was okay.

Cara was pressed up against the table, gasping for breath, "That is not okay," she said, pointing to the child.

"Hmm, very curious," Kuiil said, having approached them.

"Curious? It almost killed me!" Cara practically yelled at Kuiil for his statement.

He ignored her, looking up to Din, "The story you told me of the mudhorn now makes more sense."

"What is it?" Lys asked.

"What it is, I don't know," Kuiil shook his head. "But what it does, this... this I've heard rumors of."

"What, when you worked for the Empire?" Cara said, her tone sounding agitated. At her words, Lys clenched her jaw, hating that she had made slavery sound like a choice.

"When I was sold to the Empire, in indentured servitude," Kuiil replied.

"Yet somehow, you walk free," Cara retorted, standing up from her seat.

"I bought my freedom through the skill of my hands and the labor of three of your human lifetimes," Kuiil said. "Do not cast doubt upon that of what I am nor whom I shall serve."

Lys was facing Cara, and she felt something inside her snap.

"Slavery isn't a choice, Cara," she spat, startling the entire group. "You don't get to choose who you serve. You just do it to survive. It doesn't matter what it is. But you'll do anything," she felt everyone's surprised gaze on her. "Don't you ever speak about something you're so damn privileged to have never experienced."

As she felt her level head return, she looked, noticing Cara's gaze had shifted from her to something behind Kuiil, and Lys turned to see that the IG-11 droid had come to stand behind him.

"Tell you what," Din said, easing the tension. "I could really use your craftwork right now. Can you pad this container so the child can sleep better?"

"I shall fabricate a new one," Kuiil said. "Then perhaps this Dropper can see how one can win their freedom with the skill of one's hands," he shuffled off, the droid following after him.

Cara slumped back down at the table, looking up at Lys. Lys did not break eye contact with her, each of them too stubborn to look away. Din sensed this and cleared his throat.

"Lys, come help me with something," he said.

Lys nodded and began to walk after Din, the child in her arms and her eye contact not breaking with Cara's until she had to turn away. The two of them made their way up to the cockpit. As soon as they arrived, Lys handed off the child to Din before slumping down in her seat.

He looked at her for a moment, her face buried in her knees. He was quiet, giving her a few moments to cool off before the child cooed.

Lys looked up from her knees, a few residual tears apparent on her face.

"Sorry," she whispered, looking down at her hands. "I just- snapped."

"I know," Din replied.

Suddenly, she felt a gloved hand on her face, and she looked up, Din looking down at her before he wiped under her eyes. His glove was rough, but his touch was gentle.

Lys reached up and took his hand from her face, kissing it gently as she had done before, before letting it drop.

"Thank you," she said, her voice returning to the same appreciative and kind tone that he had heard for the first time on Sorgan.

"You speak," he replied instinctually, his mind still back on Sorgan, the feeling of her hand inside his on their night walk, her hand brushing against his glove as she gave him lunch.

Lys' faint laugh brought him to the present, and she stood from her seat.

Din looked to see that the child had slumped over in his arms, asleep against him.

"Your mind may be back on Sorgan," she said quietly, "but I think his is somewhere else."

"It might be there, chasing frogs," Din replied, hoping to hear her laugh again.

He was granted that wish as she shook her head, taking the child from him, "I'll go put him to sleep."

"Will you send Cara up here?" Din asked.

Lys hummed her response as she leaned up on her toes and placed a gentle kiss to the side of Din's helmet before going down the ladder. Din hadn't even realized he had been holding his breath at her gesture until Cara appeared moments later, forcing him to focus on the task at hand.

Lys held the child to her breast, humming gently as he slept against her, when she felt eyes on her.

She looked up to see IG-11 watching her from beside Kuiil. He seemed to be curious about the way she held the child, his arms instinctually going up and modeling the image she had, and she smiled at the droid for a moment.

"I'm going to get some sleep," Lys said, to Kuiil. "If Mando asks, I am in the cabin."


	13. Episode 7, Part 2: The Nightmare

A few hours later, Lys found herself awake and refreshed, ready for whatever awaited them on Nevarro. As the ship landed, they got on the Blurrgs, with Din reaching down and helping Lys onto the one he would be riding.

Lys reluctantly placed the child in the pram, knowing that it was better constructed to protect him than she could.

She clutched tightly to Din's back as they descended from the ship, Kuiil, Cara, Din, herself, and the child all together. They rode over to where there was a group of four people in front of her, and she eyes the man in the middle carefully as he stepped forward.

"Sorry for the remote rendezvous, Mando, but things have gotten complicated since you were here last," he spoke. "It appears that introductions are in order. It seems we've both provided a security detail. I recommend the shock trooper guard the ship. These lava fields are lousy with Jawas."

"She's coming with me," Din called to them.

"But the town is now run by ex-Empire. If a Rebel Dropper is with us, they'll all get their hackles up," the man who Lys remembered was called Greef Karga spoke.

"She's coming," Din said firmly.

"Fine, fine," Karga spoke. "At least cover your tattoo. No need to flaunt it," he said, causing Lys to look over and see an unimpressed Cara sitting utop her blurrg.

"Now, where is the little one?" Greef asked.

Lys felt both her and Din seize up at the mention, and she was the first to reach out and gently squeeze his waist. He raised his arm, moving the pram out from between them and Cara.

"Not too close," Lys whispered against his neck for only him to hear.

Din opened the pram to reveal the child sitting inside. Lys held her breath, watching as he reached down in and picked up the child.

"So, this little bogwing is what all the fuss was about," Greef said, raising him up.

Lys could barely move at that point, feeling Din move his hand discreetly to his blaster, prepared to shoot if necessary.

"What a precious little creature," Greef commented, ignoring the obvious tension. "I can see why you didn't want to harm a hair on its wrinkled little head."

He soon put the child back down, and Din relaxed slightly.

"Well, I'm glad this matter will be put to rest once and for all," he said, watching as the pram was closed and returned to their side. "The sun drops fast on Nevarro. We can walk for a spell and camp at the riverbank then make our way into town at first light."

And that was what they did.

Lys kept her eyes peeled the entire time they trudged on. She was thankful to be able to ride the Blurrgs and not walk along the hot lava banks. She found herself resting her chin on Din's shoulder as the moved on, her arms always wrapped around his waist for balance.

He kept one hand out for balance, holding the pommel and the reigns of the Blurrgs, and the other resting on his thigh.

They walked until the sun dipped beyond the horizon before setting up a camp along the lava flats.

When they set up camp, Lys helped to gather the firewood before moving away as they roasted their dinner over a large fire. She sat between Din and the child, and across the fire from them were the three bounty hunters who had accompanied Greef.

Lys found herself sitting with the child in her lap, feeding him as he babbled and cooed, completely unaware of any tensions around him. He was safe with her and Din, he had food in his mouth, and that was what mattered to him.

"So you must be his caretaker," Greef said from where he lounged, beside Din.

"Yes," Lys replied, not bothering to turn to him.

"Pretty thing," Greef said, causing her to look over at him, an eyebrow raised. Between her and Greef, Din had sat up more, his fists clenching and unclenching. Seeing this, Greef immediately held his hands up in apology. "Had to say it. Had to say it."

Lys rolled her eyes, listening as Greef continued to drone on, talking about the child. But Din was not in the mood.

"Let's go over the plan again," he said, interrupting Greef.

"We both enter the common house. We show the client the bait, we join him at the table. And you kill him."

"Tell me about his reinforcements."

"They're all ex-Empire," Greef said. "As soon as they lose their paycheck, they'll all scatter."

"And what if they don't?" Lys asked.

"They will."

"That's not good enough," she said, feeling Din gazing at her. He was used to her wanting at least a handful of backup plans.

"It'll be fine," Greef sweetened his voice, as if trying to placate an emotional woman, which made Lys absolutely frustrated.

"No. She's right," Din said, agreeing with Lys. She flashed him a grateful smile, but Greef just sighed.

"If, for argument's sake, a few of them don't realize that I'm their best path to reemployment, and they elect to react impulsively, then these three fine Guild Hunters, along with that battle-hardened shock trooper will cut down anyone who bucks."

"How many will there be?" Din asked.

"No more than four. He travels with, at most, a Fire Team," Greef stood, clearly trying to leave the conversation. "Trust me. Nothing could go wrong."

At that exact moment, something flew overhead, attacking Greef and making him cry out in pain. Almost immediately, everyone jumped into action, beginning to fire into the air as creatures flew overhead.

"Get down!" Din yelled at Lys before he was suddenly knocked over.

She ducked down, protecting the child under her chest, listening to the chaos around her. She heard a blurrg scream out, and then one of the bounty hunters.

She peered up just in time to see one of the creatures swooping down and tackling Din. He shouted, struggling with it for a few moments before flaming the thing.

Soon everything was quiet except for Greef Karga's groans. Lys sat up, looking to see Din staring at her, and she nodded, letting him know they were okay.

She set the child down, grabbing her small medpack before racing over to Greef.

"He's hurt, badly," she said. "Hold still."

She rummaged through the medpac, looking for the right syringe. She looked to see poison spreading through his veins at an unprecedented pace.

"How bad?" Din's voice came from behind her as she worked, trying to get the poison to slow down.

"Bad. The poison's spreading fast."

"So, this is how it ends," Greef muttered.

"Don't be so dramatic," Lys could hear Cara say.

"I need another medpac," Lys said, looking to the hunters. "Got any medpacs?" She asked them.

They all looked at her, confused and stunned. Apparently there were no other medpacs

"You're joking," she huffed. "It's still spreading. This isn't working."

Suddenly she looked down to see that the child was next to her.

"Get that thing out of here," Cara said to Kuiil, trying to help Lys.

"Not now, Ad'ika," Lys said, frustrated. Din went down to pick him up, but he was stopped by Kuiil.

"Wait, wait."

Lys watched as the child placed his hand on Greef, and everyone watched in stunned silence as Greef became quiet, and the wound began to heal on its own until there was nothing there at all.

Everyone looked on in astonishment as the child suddenly sat down.

Lys turned to him and he reached for her, a tired look on his face.

"Hey, hey," she said, catching him before he fell to the ground. She looked up at Din, who shook his head in amazement.

The rest of them were quiet after that, with Greef muttering a shocked thank you. Lys stood with the child, noting that he was exhausted.

"He needs to rest," she said quietly, moving away from the group as they soon separated. She moved over to the pram, holding him to her breast, rocking him as he clung to her.

Within a few moments, he was fast asleep, snoring softly. The group had finally moved away, deciding it was also time for them to rest. As they all laid down, Lys found Din approaching her.

"How is he?" He asked.

"He's alright," Lys said, a proud smile on her face. "He did good."

Din nodded, looking down at them, "You should get some rest too."

"I will," she said. "I just- want to hold him for a little while."

She moved away from Din, humming softly as she rocked the child. Din turned back and laid down, with one eye always open, keeping an eye on Lys and the child before drifting over to see the bounty hunters, who were also watching Lys and the child. He gritted his teeth, watching them before they seemed to realize he was staring at them.

Soon enough, Lys had placed the child in his pram and then laid down close to Din, the pram just beside her. Din reached out and brushed his hand across her back for a moment before pulling away. He wanted her to know he would be staying awake to keep them safe.

Feeling comfortable with this, Lys fell asleep, her breath lightly dancing across the ground.

They only rested for a few hours until the light peaked over the horizon, and it was time to continue towards the town. Kuiil was now the only one with a blurrg, as the others had been taken in the night. As the sun began to rise, the lava fields were almost grey as they walked along. The child was enclosed in his pram, hovering between Din and Lys, with Cara walking to the left of Din.

Ahead of them walked the bounty hunters, who were beginning to look a little nervous, talking with Greef as they approached the town. Lys turned her ears, listening as Cara and Din began to talk.

"You think they're having second thoughts?" Cara spoke up, just quiet enough for them to hear, but the bounty hunters to be in the dark.

"Could be," Din said. "I need your eyes."

"I'm watching," Cara replied.

They were nearing the village, with Greef soon falling into step with Cara, Din, and Lys, and they moved in front of the bounty hunters. Lys felt uneasy as they moved ahead.

As they crested the last ridge, they came to a halt, overlooking the town.

"I guess this is it," Greef said.

Lys looked over the town, but she felt Din tense beside her, and just as she turned her head to look at him, Greef whirled around, sending to blaster shots backwards.

As he did this, Din moved in front of Lys and the pram, taking out his blaster and pointing it at Greef. Cara had also gone on to draw her blaster. Lys looked back to see that the two bounty hunters that had been with them had fallen to the ground, dead.

Greef raised his blasters, pointing to the sky, "There's something you should know."

He moved past the bounty hunters, kicking their blasters from their hands.

"The plan was to kill you and take the kid," Greef said, turning back to them, his blasters now pointed to the ground. "But after what happened last night, I couldn't go through with it."

Cara and Din were still aiming their blasters at Greef, with Cara glaring at him, and Din gone rigid.

"Go on. You can gun me down here and now and it wouldn't violate the Code, but if you do, this child will never be safe.

"We'll take our chances," Cara snapped.

"The Imperial clint is obsessed with obtaining this asset," Greef said. "You tried to run, but where did it get you?"

"This is ridiculous," Cara huffed, lowering her blaster and looking to Din.

"Perhaps you should let him speak," Kuiil said, having stepped down from his blurrg.

"Listen, we both need the client to be eliminated. Let me take the child to him and then you two-"

"No," Din said, hist blaster still raised towards Greef.

"Let's just kill him and get outta here," Cara said.

Din looked as though he might do it when Lys finally spoke up, "He's right," her soft voice drifted towards Din, and he began to lower his blaster, putting his blaster back into his holster.

"What are you doing?" Cara asked him.

"As long as the Imp lives, he'll send hunters after the child," he said, looking at Cara.

"It's a trap," Cara shook her head.

"Bring me," Din said. "Tell him you captured me. Get me close to him, and I'll kill him."

"That's a good idea. Give me your blaster," Greef said.

Almost immediately, they were moving, with Din's blaster getting handed over. Lys seemed to know where he was going, and she turned to the pram, opening it up and taking the child out.

"This is insane," Cara said.

"It's the only way," he said.

"Well, I'm coming with you," Cara insisted.

"No, no, no, that would make them suspicious," Greef said.

"Tell them she caught me," Din replied.

"Fine, then she can bring the child."

"No," Lys said. "He can't come with us."

"The kid goes back in the ship. Lys, you too."

"But without the child, none of this works," Greef exclaimed.

"I have a plan. Kuiil, Lys, ride back to the Razor Crest with the child and seal yourselves in. When you're inside, engage ground security protocols. Nothing on this planet will breach those doors."

Lys reached over, keeping the child in her arms and touched Din's hand, she could feel him clench and turn to her.

"I know what you're thinking," Lys said. "But I can't go back to the Razor Crest," she shook her head. "If I'm not with the pram, they'll know it's a ruse."

"But-"

"I have to come with you. Kuiil will have to take the child alone."

"Here's a commlink," Kuiil said, handing a small device to Din. "I will keep the child safe," he said this last part to Lys, and she nodded. "Don't forget to cover your stripes," he said to Cara.

"Let's go," Din said, pulling cuffs from his one bag, allowing Greef to tie him up.

Lys moved over as everyone began to prepare to head into town. Din was secured and his weapons were taken from him. Lys watched as Cara tied up her arm tattoo, and Kuiil approached her.

"I will take care of him," he said, reaching out for him.

Lys looked at the child in her arms and took a deep breath, handing him off to Kuiil.

"Thank you," she said. "For everything."

Kuiil nodded and turned away, making his way to the blurrg. Lys heard Din come to her side.

"Your turn," he said, handing another set of cuffs to Lys, and she allowed him to secure her. They turned, with Lys giving one last look as Kuiil got on the blurrg and raced away towards the ship.

"He'll be safe in the Razor Crest," Din said.

"I'm not worried about that, I'm worried about the way there," Lys said.

Instead of trying to reassure her, Din nodded, finding himself worried also. It would have to work. It had to.

As they made their way down the hill towards the town, Lys found herself getting nervous. Soon they were in the sight of the people of the town, and Lys noted that it was crawling with stormtroopers.

There were two of them just outside leaning against two speeders, and one of them lazily stood up as they approached.

"Chain code?" He asked.

"I have a gift for the boss," Greef said, pointing to Din.

"Chain code?"

Greef sighed and then handed the trooper a chip. They waited for a moment before the stormtrooper spoke up, "I'll give you 20 credits for the helmet."

"Ha-" Greef laughed. "Not a chance. That's going on my wall."

"On your wall?" Din muttered under his breath.

"Just go with it," Greef replied.

"And the chick?" The stormtrooper asked, motioning to Lys.

"I'll be hanging on to her," Cara spoke up, wrapping her arm around her waist. Lys stiffened, her face paling slightly, which made the stormtrooper laugh.

"Go ahead," the trooper spoke, handing the chain code back to Greef before they moved into the town.

It was crawling with stormtroopers. Lys was silent as they moved, feeling their eyes on the group as they walked through the streets.

"You said there'd be four," Cara said, "There are more than four."

"Four guarding the client. Many more here in town," Greef replied. "Things got really heated once Mando crashed the safe house."

"Slip him his blaster," Cara said darkly.

"Not yet," Greef replied.

They were soon moved into a building, with Lys and Din both being shoved through the door by Cara and Greef, trying to look rough with them.

Almost immediately, Lys' eyes landed on the old man who Din had left her with months ago.

"See, four," Greef said quietly as he looked around at the troopers guarding the client.

Lys was too focused on the old man, who was staring at them as they walked in. He stood, approaching them, his eyes never leaving her or Din's faces.

"Look what I brought you," Greef said. "As promised."

"What exquisite craftmanship," the man said, reaching up, his hand hovering over Din's face. "It is amazing how beautiful beskar can be when forged by its ancient artisans," he then turned to Lys. "As for you, I showed a few friends your photo, and I seem to have found someone who has been looking for you for a long time."

Lys froze up, her mind swirling as to who he could mean, and she could feel the others looking over her.

"Now, can I offer you a libation to celebrate the closing of our shared narrative?" He turned to Greef. 

"I would be obliged." Greef said coyly.

Lys and Cara stayed standing as Greef knocked Din into a seat.

"Just as in this situation, it was all avoidable," the client said, taking a seat across from them. "Why did Mandalore resist our expansion? The Empire improves every system it touches. Judge by any metric. Safety, prosperity, trade opportunity, peace. Compare Imperial rule to what is happening now," he seemed to not break eye contact with Din as he spoke.

Lys began to notice stormtroopers filling the room. It was more than four.

"Look outside. Is the world more peaceful since the revolution?" He asked, his voice dark and accusatory. "I see nothing but death and chaos. I would like to see the baby."

Lys immediately balked at the sudden reaction, seeing as he began to reach out to the closed pram.

"It is asleep," Greef said.

"We all will be quiet," the man said.

"Open the pram," he said, when suddenly, a stormtrooper came over and whispered in his ear, and he stood. "Don't think me to be rude," he said. "I need to take this call."

Lys watched as he stood, and suddenly, the plans were in motion. She watched as Din grabbed his blaster, and Cara leaned over, commenting on the number of the troopers in the room.

Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded from the room, and Lys jolted backwards as a name she hated more than anything was spoken.

"Moff Gideon."

Lys stepped backwards, the faint whisper of his name just barely reaching her ears. She looked to see if anyone else had heard, but there was no reation from the others. She jerked back from Cara, who looked at her, a concerned expression crossing her face.

Before she could say something, suddenly, red blaster shots were being fired, taking out the client and making Lys and the others hide behind the tables and chairs, not wanting to move out to be seen for fear of being killed.

The fire lasted for a few moments before it stopped, and they waited for a few moments, listening. Cara then stood, crouched out of sight as she moved forward, getting to a more defensible position.

Lys felt Din grab her arm and pull her up to him as he moved forward also. She stood behind him and peered out, seeing a line of troopers standing, their blasters pointed in their direction.

Lys then heard the sounds of more troopers pulling forward and joining them.

"Four stormtroopers?" Cara huffed.

Lys found herself trying to breathe. The child. "Din, the child," she said to him and he nodded, taking out the com that Kuiil had given him and radioing.

"Are they back to the ship?" Lys asked, listening in.

"Get back to the ship and bail. We're pinned down," Din said to the comms.

They waited with bated breath when suddenly, they heard the roar of a tie fighter landing. Lys knew who it was, and she turned away.

"We have to get out of here, Din, we have to get out of here," she said, beginning to panic, she moved towards the door that led outside, but Cara grabbed her.

"Who is that?" Cara asked.

"You don't want to know," Lys shook her head, backing away from the window. "We have to go."

But instead of running, she watched as the tie fighter opened up, and the man who haunted her nightmares appeared, marching to come stand in front of the group of troopers.

He stood there silently for a moment, and Lys closed her eyes, freezing as a haunting voice rang through her mind.

"You have something I want," Moff Gideon's voice called to them. "You may think you have some idea of what you are in possession of, but you do not."

"Kuiil, are you back to the ship yet? They're onto us," Din radioed into the comlink.

"It's too late, Din," Lys shook her head, looking at him from across the window.

"Lys, I need you to calm down," Cara hissed.

"I'm not going back there. I won't. I won't," she shook her head.

"Going where? Lys, do you know this man?" Cara hissed to her. Lys couldn't even open her mouth to speak as Gideon's eyes met hers.

He froze for a moment, staring over at her. He recognized her. His special experiment. Her mind reeled, and she tasted blood in her mouth. Moff Gideon had been the one who ordered her to bite off her own tongue. He had given her years of pain and torture, turning her into a perfect little experiment of power, and Lys couldn't move. She couldn't breathe as her gaze locked onto him.

"Kuiil, do you copy?" Din tried again, his frantic voice pulling her out of her head.

The commlink was silent, and Lys felt like crying as she dipped back behind a wall.

"In a few moments, it will be mine," Moff finally continued his speech. "It means more to me than you will ever know," he said.

Lys listened as Din continued to try and contact Kuiil, but there was no response. It was too late. There was no response as the panic continued to rise in his voice.

They were trapped, and Lys turned, her eyes meeting Cara's. There was a sense of wild terror flooding through her body. Her face turned to stone, her resolve perfect as her memories were overloading her brain, and she had to shut her emotions off.

"If they are about to capture us," Lys spoke, staring Cara down. "I want you to kill me. Point your blaster at my head and unload."

Cara seemed to have many questions on her lips, but she nodded slowly.

"Understood."


	14. Episode 8, Part 1: The Run

"We're not dying," Greef said, breaking Lys out of her conversation with Cara.

Lys turned to glare at him, "Yeah, right," she spat venomously. She wasn't sure what was coming over her, but it was as if some feral preservation instinct had grabbed a hold of her, and she just knew she needed to run.

"Well, is there another way out of here?" Cara asked, looking around the place.

"That's it," Greef replied, pointing his gun towards the window that showed Moff Gideon and his troops standing at the ready.

"What about the sewers?" Din asked.

"Sewers?"

"The Mandalorians have a covert down in the sewers," Din said. "If we can get down there, they can help us escape.

"Yeah, sewers are good," Cara said, giving an encouraging nod.

"Checking for access points."

As Din moved away from the door, he began to scan for the sewer entry. Lys peered back from her spot on the wall only to once again be met with Moff Gideon's eyes. He seemed to see her standing there, and a grin settled on his face.

"Pleasure to see you again, Lysa," he called out.

Lys watched his every move religiously, knowing that every motion and action he made had a purpose. She hadn't noticed Din freeze behind her, pausing his search for a moment to see Lys's vulnerable position.

"Lys!" He called to her. She couldn't hear him. Din clenched his jaw and grabbed Greef by the elbow. "Pull her from the window. Make her snap out of it."

Greef nodded as Din turned back to look for the vents. Greef snuck up behind Lys and grabbed her, pulling her out of the fire and back to a safer position against a wall.

"Don't let him get to you," Greef shook his head.

Lys was brought back once more to the present and looked out, avoiding Moff Gideon's gaze. She hadn't even noticed that the troopers had brought out a large gun and begun to set it up.

"If you come out here to me, I will give you your life," Moff Gideon spoke, seeing her head reappear for a brief second. "And you will survive. Despite your untimely exit from my service, I am more than happy to deliver you once more."

Lys caught his eyes for a second time, wanting to say no to his face. She wanted to scream at him, for what he had done to her, but she was silent. She was utterly silent, and she found herself nodding to him, as if in some sort of trance. It had been engrained in her when he had been near her. Yes. Yes, she would come to him, if he asked it of her.

Lys could barely hear what was going on in the room, barely noticing Greef had joined where Cara and Din had made their way to a sewer pipe and were clearing out the area and were firing at it. She took a step forward, unable to think straight. It was as if her head was short-firing, she was losing all control.

Luckily, before she could move any further, she felt an arm on her wrist, and she looked back to see that Din had come forward, grabbed her, and pulled her away from the window again.

"I need you to focus, Lys. Whatever happened between you two, you've got to keep it together right now. Think of Ad'ika," Din said.

At the sound of the child's nickname, Lys perked up, nodding. She needed to get back to him, no matter what. As if sensing that, Din let go of her and turned away.

"Come on, come help me here," he said, leading her to a small grate.

Lys tried to pry it open with her dagger, but it was useless, and she was pulled back, letting Cara fire at it until she heard Moff speaking loudly once more, his voice ringing in her head.

"Your astute panic suggests that you understand your situation," Moff said. "I would prefer to avoid any further violence and encourage a moment of consideration," he said. "Members of my escort have completed assembly of an E-Web heavy repeating blaster. If you are unfamiliar with this weapon, I am sure that Republican Shock Trooper Carasynthia Dune of Alderaan will advise you that she has witnessed many of her ranks vaporize mid-descent facing the predecessor of this particular model."

"Or perhaps the decommissioned Mandalorian hunter, Din Djarin, has heard the songs of the Siege of Mandalore, when gunships outfitted with similar ordnance laid waste to fields of Mandalorian recruits in The Night of a Thousand Tears,"

Lys had turned to face the window, and hearing Din's name spoken from a voice other than her own, she turned and looked at him. He was frozen, and she soon turned her eyes to meet Moff Gideon's once more as she waited to hear her name.

"Perhaps even my dearest Lysa Averfel will tell you that she was rescued from the hands of slave traders by the Empire, how machines forged from the very same fires as these were used to torture her every night until she begged for deliverance, to which I gave her."

Lys trembled, her mind returning to that night. That blessed and yet painful night that would write out her future into the stars, branding her with the pain she now wore across her back and the lisp she carried with her to this day. She felt Din at her side, his hand reaching out to touch her, and she flinched. He seemed also at a loss for words as they just listened to Moff Gideon continue to speak.

"I advise disgraced Magistrate Greef Karga to search the wisdom of his years and urge you to lay down your arms and come outside," Moff said. "The structure you are trapped in will be razed in short order and your storied lives will come to an unceremonious end."

"What do you propose?" Greef called out.

"Reasonable negotiation."

"What assurance can you offer?" Greef replied.

"If you're asking if you can trust me, you cannot. Just as you betrayed our business arrangement, I would gladly break any promise and watch you die at my hand. The assurance I give is this: I will act in my own self-interest, which at this time involves your cooperation and benefit."

"I will give you until nightfall, and then I will have the E-Web cannon open fire."

Lys listened, with almost muted ears as Cara and Greef began to argue between themselves. All she could make out was the beating of her own heart, and bile in her mouth.

"He's toying with us," she whispered.

"You know him?"

"I wish I didn't," she replied. "He will do this to us for hours. He's-" she shook her head. "I would rather die than go back to him," she said.

She wished that she believed that. In her heart, Lys hated him and fought against him with every fiber of her being for what he had done to her, but there was something in her mind that begged her to return, her conditioning fighting against her nature.

"What about you, Mando?" Greef asked.

"I know who he is. It's Moff Gideon," Din spoke, looking to Lys. She could tell that he was frozen and on edge, looking her to confirmation.

"No," Cara said.

"It is," Lys whispered.

"Moff Gideon was executed for war crimes," Cara retorted.

"It's him. He knew my name," Din added.

"So? What does that prove?"

"I haven't heard that name spoken by anyone other than Lys since I was a child," he said, shaking his head.

"On Mandalore?" Cara asked.

"I was not born on Mandalore."

"But you're a Mandalorian," Greef jumped in.

"Mandalorian isn't a race," Din shook his head.

"It's a Creed," Lys said, remembering how desperately she had wanted to remove his helmet, to see him, to know his face, but she would never get to.

"I was a foundling" Din spoke. "They raised me in the Fighting Corps. I was treated as one of their own. When I came of age, I was sworn to the Creed. The only record of my family name was in the registers of Mandalore. Moff Gideon was an ISB Officer during the purge. That's how I know who he is."

"That's how he knows who we all are," Cara said.

"He knows everything," Lys shuddered. "I don't know how to explain it, but Gideon," she trailed off. "He could tell you the exact place I was born, and there aren't even records of my birth."

"He says he needs us, which means the child got away safely," Greef spoke

"I was worried when the Ugnaught didn't respond, but if they'd captured the kid, we'd already be dead," Din thought.

"He's right," Lys said to the others. "Hail them again, please."

"Come in, Kuiil. Kuiil?" Din called into the commlink.

"Nothing," Lys shook her head. "Come on, dammit!"

"They might have jammed the link," Cara suggested.

Suddenly, the sound of the child came on the commlink, and Lys stepped closer to Din, listening, her face finally completely broken from its trance. She could focus on the child now.

"Kuiil has been terminated," came IG-11's voice over the comms. Lys' heart sank.

"What did you do?" Din demanded.

"I am fulfilling my base function," IG-11 said.

"Which is?"

"To nurse and protect."

Within moments, Lys could hear blaster fire coming from not too far away, and it was getting louder.

"What the hell?" Cara spoke.

Lys watched as suddenly, a speeder came flying through, and the others readied their weapons. Lys watched, in awe, as none other than IG-11 came flying through, blasting the hell out of the stormtroopers.

She could just barely see the child in a backpack-like sling across the droid. She suddenly felt Din beside her, and she looked up, seeing his blaster in one hand, and his hand resting on her shoulder.

"We're going out there!" Din called to Lys. "Stay put here!"

"But the-"

It was too late. Din had already blasted through the door, racing out to join the fight. Lys hid quickly until she could see IG was close, and the child was hanging on to him.

Lys gritted her teeth, peering out to see that Din had managed to draw most of the fire, and so she ran out towards the droid and the child.

"The child!" Lys screamed at IG-11, getting its attention.

The droid seemed to understand, and he allowed her to take him and race away, fleeing from the blaster fire. Lys entered the door to the hold once more, knowing that she was probably safer in there, with Cara than she was outside in the middle of the desperate firefight and vulnerable to Gideon's advances.

She ducked down, hiding from a handful of troopers who were jostling with Cara, when suddenly there was a loud explosion, causing Lys to be flattened, the child almost crushed beneath her. There was a loud ringing in her ear, and Lys' hand tightened on her blaster as she fixed her sling, allowing the child to be carried better before peering over a few boxes and letting a few shots off, taking down a few troopers to help Cara.

"What was that?" Lys yelled to Cara, going to look out the door, only to see that they were still massively fucked.

And that's when she saw Din on the ground, wiped out completely. He wasn't moving. Lys' heart stopped, staring out at him before Cara made a dash out the door for his body as Greef and IG-11 made their way into the building.

Cara dragged Din in after, setting him up against a door that had been blown out, and Lys set the child down, not wanting him to see Din like this, and raced over, kneeling beside Cara.

IG-11 began to work on the grate that led to the sewers as Lys leaned over Din.

"I'm not going to make it," Din said to her, his breath coming out in raggedy breaths.

"Shut up. You just got your bell rung. You'll be fine," Cara said.

Lys's hand was on the back of his head, trying to help him up, but she suddenly felt something wet and sickening, and she pulled her hand out to see the dark, red stain of Din's blood on her hands.

"No," she whispered.

"Leave me," he said.

"We have to take that thing off," Cara said, reaching past Lys and touching his helmet.

"No," Lys stopped her, and she felt Din's gaze on her from under the helmet. "There has to be another way," she said, feeling her eyes tearing up.

"No. You leave me," he said. "You make sure the child is safe. Here," he reached for a small necklace around his neck, pulling it free, and handing it to Cara, his eyes never once leaving Lys' face. "When you get to the Mandalorian covert, you show them that," he said. "You tell them it's from Din Djarin. You tell them the foundling was in my protection, and they'll help you."

Lys shook her head, "No. There's another way."

"There's not," Din said. "I'm not going to make it, and you know it."

Lys could hear suddenly the blasts of fire, and she looked up to see them being flushed out, fumes starting to fill the air around them.

"Would you-" she started.

"Protect the child. I can hold them back long enough for you to escape," Din said, cutting her off. He was insistent on them leaving without him. "Let me have a warrior's death."

He said this almost begging her. Lys could sense that Cara was giving up slowly because of his persistence, and with the fire beginning to rage around them, she knew he would force them to leave.

Suddenly, there was a blast through the door, and Lys turned and watched as a trooper wearing red stripes entered the room, the fire turned towards him, and Lys cried out, seeing the child standing up in front of the trooper as he blasted towards them.

"No!"

But it was as if the world was with them, for the child lifted up his arms, and stopped the fire from scorching them all, sending it back to the trooper, blasting him backward and out of the building.

Lys watched as the child fell over, exhausted from using his energy. At that very moment, IG-11 had busted down the grate that led to the sewers and to safety. Cara stood, wanting to help Din up, but he shook his head.

"Go, you all need to get out of here," Mando spoke. "Leave me. I'll hold them off long enough for you to escape."

"Go," Lys spoke quietly, startling the whole room of people with the tone of her voice.

She had an idea, something that wouldn't violate his Creed, she hoped, but could also heal him. "Take the child, IG-11," Lys said, looking up to the droid. "I need your bacta spray."

The droid quickly handed it off to her, and she nodded to them. "Go! I will treat him and bring him back to you. I swear," Lys said.

They all looked around at each other, hesitating, but knowing that they didn't have very much time left to escape. It was the first time some of them had heard her speak with such authority, and she was equally terrified of that instruction, but she proceeded.

She turned to the others and nodded to them, "Leave us. We will find you."

The group hesitated, but upon hearing no protests from Din, they scrambled away, leaving Lys and Din alone. Lys knelt beside him, her hands delicately reaching towards Din, but he suddenly pulled out his gun, a move she had anticipated.

"No one can see me," he said weakly. "Not even you, Lys."

"I swore to never be the reason you broke your Creed, Din. But I will not let you die," she said, her hand reaching up and grabbing his helmet. "I need you," she whispered.

He hovered his finger on the trigger of his blaster as he watched as the helmet was removed from his head; however, instead of her eyes meeting his, violating his Creed, her eyes were closed. Din's eyes widened when he realized what she had done to protect him and his Creed.

Even though she had removed his helmet, she would not see his face, and Din almost sighed. It was a great relief. He could not bring himself to harm her and knowing how deeply she respected him had reassured him even more.

"Guide my hand," she insisted, setting his helmet down and placing her hand out between them. "And I will do what I can."

Mando hesitated for a moment before reaching up and grabbing her hand, placing it where he could feel the blood coming from. He winced as her hands lightly touched it, and she used her other hand to use the bacta spray that IG-11 had given her.

It was going to be a rough patch job, just good enough to get him on his feet until the spray would begin to adhere and get rid of the pain and heal the gash in the back of his head.

When she pulled her hands away, she wiped the blood off on her pants before nodding to him, "Tell me once you've put it on, and I'll open my eyes."

Mando hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering over her face. It was clear that she was tired and slightly injured, and yet she had still stayed to help him. For a split second, his eyes looked down at her lips, subconsciously desiring her for himself, and he sat up.

"Keep them closed," he said suddenly.

Whether it was the hit to the head that drove him to this point, or the genuine need to have her, Din reached up and kissed her.

Lys was shocked, feeling the rough sensation of his lips against hers, a small scruff tickling her upper lip. She leaned into it, kissing him in return before he finally pulled away, and she was left, hearing the hiss of his helmet back on his head.

"Din-" she whispered his name as she opened her eyes, looking to see the metal of his beskar helmet staring back at her. She was motionless and wordless for a moment, hoping her lack of words would speak for themselves.

They sat there for a split second, with Lys looking over his helmet. She knew that that had sealed their relationship together, the rough kiss of his lips against hers, one of passion, desire, and desperate need to know each other.

"We have to go," she said finally looking around the room, seeing the fire still building behind them.

"I know," Din said.

She helped him to his feet, and the two of them raced off, making their way down into the sewers. They moved along, trying to go quickly, with Lys keeping him walking. He leaned heavily on her, feeling the bloodloss affecting him.

Neither of them spoke, except Din pointed which direction to go, and they followed back the right way, hoping to catch up to the others as soon as possible.

To Lys, it all seemed like a maze, so she let Din direct them as they stumbled along. Suddenly, they rounded a corner and ran into Greef, IG-11, Cara, and the child.

"Thank goodness," Cara said, going over and quickly helping Din from Lys' shoulders. "I've got him now," she said to Lys, who nodded, turning to IG-11, relief spreading across her face when she saw the little kid peering out of the sling around IG's chest.

"Can I have the child?" She asked, taking a step toward the droid, but not wanting to alarm its defenses. "I want to make sure he's alright."

"You are its mother," IG-11 said. "You need not ask for it."

Lys froze for a moment at those words, watching as the droid moved over and handed the child off to her, and she let a smile reached her face as she placed him against her chest, held up by the sling.

She checked him over, and he appeared to have gotten out of the fight unscathed. She noticed a small bump on his head, and she frowned, touching it lightly. He whined at the touch and she hushed him, placing a gentle kiss on his nose, promising to make sure he was alright once they were off the planet.

The group continued forward, with Lys trailing behind everyone. She was wary of her surroundings, and she tried her best to remain calm in order to provide a sense of security and comfort to the child.

"Where's Lys?" Din's voice could be heard as he stumbled along at the front, with Cara.

"I'm right here," Lys called as they rounded a few corners, with Din looking this way and that as they finally stopped for a moment.

"Do you know these tunnels?" Greef asked.

"No, I've only ever entered from the bazaar," Din replied before grunting in pain as they moved forward, rounding yet again another corner.

"We need to follow the smell of sulfur, it'll lead us up to the plains where the river flows," Greef said.

"And the Imps will catch us before we make it to the ship. We need the Mandalorians to escort us to safety," he seemed to tilt his head back slightly, checking to make sure Lys was right behind him with the child before continuing on.

"Ugh, this place is a maze," Lys muttered to herself as they rounded yet another corner.

"Stop, stop," Din said, stopping the progression forward, moving his arm from around Cara's neck. "I can stand."

"The bacta infusion is working," IG-11 spoke.

"I'll try to find tracks," Din pushed ahead, a little shaky on his legs for a few moments, but he shook it off, "We're close."

"Turn here," he said, guiding them along. He reached backward, motioning Lys to walk up with him, and she soon found herself trailing right on his heels.

They continued for a while before Din suddenly froze, and Lys nearly ran into him. She could just barely see in the faint light of the room, and she stepped out from behind him, her heart dropping when she saw what had made him stop.

He turned his headlight off, his body was frozen as the group peered down at a large pile of Mandalorian armor, gathered in one place. Din approached the pile alone, sinking to his knees before it.

Lys watched as he picked up one of the helmets, and she moved forward to him, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder where he knelt.

"Din- I'm," she trailed off. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.


	15. Episode 8, Part 2: The Way

"We should go," Cara said gently, knowing that they needed to press on despite the scene of carnage in front of them.

"You go. Take the ship. I can't leave it this way," he suddenly turned his head to Greef, his voice turning dark with anger. "Did you know about this? Is this the work of your bounty hunters?"

"No," Greef shook his head. "When you left the system and took the prize, the fighting ended and the hunters just melted away. You know how it is. They're mercenaries, not zealots," Greef said.

Lys felt Din begin to stand, tense and angry, blind rage and his injury making him compulsive.

"Did you do this? Did you!?" Din turned and got in Greef's face.

"No!" Greef replied.

Lys raced over and stepped between them, turning and facing Din, pushing him back slightly with her hand, feeling him press back against her, not wanting to move. He was staring at Greef over her head, and she shook her head at him.

"Din," she said in a hushed whisper, her eyes gazing at his helmet. "Din, please, look at me."

Din continued to look at Greef, his stance still poised with anger until he felt Lys' hand go up and take his helmet, pulling his head down to look at her. Once she had his attention, she let her hand slip from his helmet before shaking her head.

"It isn't his fault," she said softly. "You're grieving."

"She is right," a woman's voice came from behind the group.

Din turned, seeming surprised to hear the voice. Lys watched as a woman in a Mandalorian helmet walked out of the shadows, staring over at them.

"It is not his fault. We revealed ourselves. We knew what could happen if we left the covert," she walked over to the pile, taking a breastplate from the pile. "The Imperials arrived shortly thereafter. This is what resulted."

"Did any survive?" Din asked, approaching her, with Lys staying back with the rest of the group. She watched the interaction curiously, watching how Din approached the woman with honor and respect. The woman looked back and seemed to catch her wandering gaze for a moment before turning to answer Din.

"I hope so. Some may have escaped off-world."

"Come with us," Din spoke.

"No. I will not abandon this place until I have salvaged what remains," the woman spoke before turning and moving away from them.

They all followed her, and Lys looked around as they entered a warm room, lit by blue flames, it was clear to her that this Mandalorian woman was the one who crafted the armor that Din and the others wore.

"Show me the one whose safety deemed such destruction," the armorer spoke, as she melted down pieces of the once-worn plates and armor.

Din stepped forward, motioning for Lys to come out from the shadows. She stepped forward, her eyes curious but silent as she approached him, holding the child.

The armorer seemed to take her in for a moment before Din spoke.

"This is the one," he pointed to the child. Lys held him up so that the armorer could see him, and she seemed to stare for a moment before speaking.

"This is the one that you hunted, then saved?"

"Yes. The one that saved me as well," Din hesitated before adding. "They both have."

At his addition, the armorer looked up at Lys, analyzing her.

"You saved him from the mudhorn?"

"No," Lys shook her head. She looked down at the child in her arms and gave him a soft smile before looking to Din.

"The child did," Din said.

"It looks helpless," the armorer spoke.

"It's injured, but it is not helpless," Din spoke. "Its species can move objects with its mind."

"I know of such things," the armorer spoke, finally moving away from them. "The songs of eons past tell of battles between Mandalore the Great and an order of sorcerers called Jedi that fought with such powers."

"It is an enemy?" Din asked.

Lys felt her heart drop for a moment, looking to the child and then to Din. She noticed how his body language had changed, how he was looking over at the child, struck by confusion. She shook her head.

"That's not possible," she shook her head. "He's-" she trailed off quietly, looking to the armorer. "Is he?" she whispered.

"No," the armorer looked to Lys and then to Din. "Its kind were enemies, but this individual is not."

"What is it?" Din asked her.

"It is a foundling. By Creed, it is in your care," the armorer spoke.

"You want me to train this thing?" Din asked.

"It is too weak. It would die. You have no choice. You must reunite it with its own kind."

"Where?" Din asked.

"This you must determine," she said, before looking over to Lys for a brief second, as if thinking of something.

"You expect me to search the galaxy for the home of this creature and deliver it to a race of enemy sorcerers?"

"This is the Way."

Din stood for a few moments, before looking to Lys. She looked back at him, her heart racing with this new information. If the child needed to be reunited with its kind, then that she would help him do.

"We have to," she whispered, barely loud enough for Din to hear.

"As for you," the armor spoke, turning to Lys. "I see the way you two guide each other, even if it may not seem obvious to the others. She serves you well," she said to Din.

"I know," Din replied, his tone turning soft.

At his words, Lys' face softened and she gave him a small smile. She was thankful that he was alive. That he had trusted her enough to lift up his helmet without violating his Creed. At least, she hoped that it had not violated his Creed.

Everything about it confused her. The way he kept himself from her, hid his face, but he had given her his name, he had given her his touch, his kiss. He had given up many things for her, and she wasn't sure how much else he could give up before it all became too much, and his Creed became one of them. 

Lys had sworn to not allow him to give it up for her. She had promised him that much, and so she gritted her teeth, knowing that she should try to keep him from giving up any more.

"Hey," Cara's voice brought her back to the fact that they were still on the run with the group. "These tunnels will be lousy with Imps in a matter of minutes. We should at least discuss an escape plan."

"If you follow the descending tunnel, it will lead you to the underground river. It flows downstream toward the lava flats," the armorer motioned to the left out of the smith's room.

"I think we should go," Greef said, stepping toward the door.

"I'm staying," came Din's reply, which made Lys' heart turn cold as she turned to look at him, her face full of worry and betrayal. He couldn't leave them. 

As if sensing this, Din shook his head at her, trying to explain. "I need to help her and I need to heal."

"You must go," the armorer interrupted. "A foundling is in your care. By creed, until it is of age or reunited with its own kind, you are as its father. This is the Way," the armorer spoke, turning from where she had been hammering a few things.

"You have earned your Signet," the armorer spoke, approaching Din before welding the sign of a mudhorn onto his shoulder.

She then turned to Lys, "Put out your hand."

Lys held out her hand and suddenly felt something cool and heavy drop into it. She opened it to see a small beskar ring with a small matching the signet that now appeared on Din's armor. She noticed how it shone in the dim light of the furnace, and she held it up. She looked to where Din now stood, watching the actions of the armorer with a sense of pride.

Din's helmet remained tilted to Lys, his eyes beneath his helmet never once leaving her face. Lys and the child were a part of his family now, and he knew that he would do everything in his power to return the child to his home, and keep Lys safe at his side. 

The armorer turned away from where Lys stood and spoke something in Mando'a to Din before she finally returned to common speech.

"You are now a clan of three," she said, the weight of her words settling in Lys' mind. A clan of three.

Lys slipped the ring on her index finger, nodding her head, sensing the importance of this duty. 

"Thank you. I will wear this with honor," Din said of his new signet.

Lys nodded, knowing the woman would be satisfied with just that when suddenly, there was an explosion, and things jumped into action quickly. IG was sent out to the hall to guard them, and Lys watched as the armorer gave Din something, which she noted was a shining beskar jetpack.

Soon enough, the blaster fire coming from the hall quieted before IG scurried in, informing them they were protected from the intruders. They, however, did not have much time left before more would keep coming.

Lys' eyes turned just in time to see the armorer approach her discreetly, something concealed in her hand. 

"For you," the armorer said, barely above a whisper before Lys found herself being handed a tiny, beskar dagger. The armorer motioned for Lys to stay silent about the gift before she moved away. 

Lys looked down at the thin, balanced dagger, sliding it in beside the small one she had been gifted from Din. She then looked up to see that IG-11 was carrying Din's jetpack for him.

She approached Din, looking him over, noting that he had straightened up, a little stronger on his feet, and she tapped his arm, checking in silently.

He nodded, reaching over and taking the hand with her ring, looking at it more closely. He gave it a squeeze, nodding his head.

"You're in my clan now," he said. "Our clan."

Lys smiled, "Our clan."

Soon enough, they were ready to be on the move once more.

"Be safe on your journey," the armorer spoke to them, before going to stand at the forge, continuing her work.

They moved down the hall, with Lys walking gingerly, the child secured in her hands as they moved downwards. She slipped a couple of times, but each time IG-11 grabbed her, holding her steady, and she thanked the droid.

"This is the lava river," Greef spoke.

The group noticed a ferry, with a fried droid inside. Within a matter of seconds, Greef and Din began to push the boat out, but were failing to do so, due to the ferry being stuck against the rocks.

"Should we tell them?" Cara asked Lys, waving her heavy gun up in the air.

"Move out of the way," Lys called to them, each pulling back while Cara blasted the boat out into the lava.

Din jumped backward towards Lys as the loud sounds filled their ears, and she looked away, covering the child's ears at the loud noise.

Once it grew quiet once more, Lys peered over her shoulder and looked to see that the boat had broken free, and she sighed with relief. They would be getting out of there alive.

She watched hesitantly as Greef and Cara jumped across to the boat. Lys blinked a few times, looking at the widening gap between the boat and the ground, the molten lava roaring at her.

She clutched tightly and watched as Din and IG-11 jumped over, with IG telling everyone to watch their feet.

"No kidding," Cara yelled at him.

"Lys, come on," Din called out to her, a frantic tone to his voice as the gap grew wider and wider. He reached his hand out towards her and the kid. "Hurry!"

"Oh I don't like this," Lys huffed to herself, stepping back and giving herself a running start before leaping over the lava and crashing into Din. She opened her eyes, clutching tightly to Din and to the kid before she realized she was okay.

"You made it," Din nodded, giving her a gentle squeeze around her waist before letting her go.

"Thank you," she let out a wavering sigh as the boat began to float down the field on its own.

Suddenly, there was a whirring sound, and Lys found herself being shoved backward behind Cara when the little R-unit ferry droid woke up, shaking off the lava that had incased it.

It grew until Lys found herself staring up at it, her eyes wide in disbelief. It beeped at them, a small metal pole attached to its hands. The scene was tense, with every blaster pointed at the droid as it looked down on them curiously.

"I don't suppose anyone here speaks droid?" Din asked sarcastically.

"IG?" Lys asked softly, peering over at the droid.

"I believe he is asking where we would like to go," the droid replied, looking over at Lys.

"Down river. To the lava flat," Greef spoke.

The droid chirped and soon enough they were on the move once more. Lys sighed and looked over, noting a few seats on the ferry, and she moved over, plopping down on one.

It seemed as though they had a few minutes before they would reach the mouth of the tunnel, and Lys needed a moment to think while the others continued to look around, still tense and on high alert.

Moff Gideon had been there. He was alive and now he knew that she was too. She shivered at the thought, his dark eyes, full of hatred now brought back to the forefront of her mind. She would never be free from his control over her until he was dead.

"Lys," Din's modulated voice rang through her mind. He had noticed her shiver, the way she had clutched the child even tighter to her chest, and he had stepped back so that he was now standing beside her, still on high alert as he scanned the area. "Are you- okay?"

"I'm fine," Lys nodded her head, somehow managing to pull herself together.

Din paused for a moment, tilting his head dubiously in her direction, as if to say we'll be talking more about this later. Lys sighed and looked away from him, knowing that she would have to reveal that part of her, something she didn't want to relive ever again.

They remained there, at each other's side for a few minutes, and Lys found herself fiddling with the little beskar ring that the armorer had given her. She scrunched her nose as she traced the little mudhorn insignia before Lys decided to speak once more. She was about to open her mouth to ask him what the ring meant, but she was interrupted when Greef spoke.

"That's it! We're free!" He was pointing to a small light at the end of the tunnel, and Lys stood, looking up at it. She shook her head.

"No, no. Gideon wouldn't let us go that easily," she bit her lip. "Din, can you scan the mouth of the tunnel."

"I'm already on it," Din said quietly before shaking his head. "We're not free. There are stormtroopers flanking the mouth of the tunnel. It looks like an entire platoon. They must know we're coming."

"Of course they would," Lys felt herself laughing, a desperate, knowing cackle that shocked even herself. She could feel Din's gaze on her, "He knows everything."

"Stop the boat," Cara said quietly.

The boat continued to float along, and Cara turned back to the droid and repeated herself, but the boat kept going downstream. Finally, she had had enough, walked backward, and blasted the droid, so that it had stopped rowing.

"We're still moving," Greef spoke. 

"Looks like we have to fight," Cara said.

"We can't. There's too many of them," Din shook his head.

Lys began to lose it, she sat back down, her eyes filling with tears as she could feel herself beginning to lose it. They were going to die, and she and the kid would be brought back to Moff Gideon to serve out whatever horrible purpose he had in store for them.

"Well what do you suggest, cause I can't surrender," Cara said, clearly beginning to panic.

"He won't want anything but us," Lys shook her head. "He wants the kid, and now that he knows I'm alive, he'll want me too. They will slaughter you all."

The group all turned to look at her, everyone stunned to hear her speak with such a maniacal tone, her eyes now wild with terror but somehow calm with resolution.

"I would rather one of you blast me and the kid, here, now, than ever live to face Moff Gideon," Lys stood, taking her blaster out and reaching it out toward the group. "I need to know which one of you will do it."

They stared back at her, all of them reeling with her words. She could see that Din was bothered by her actions, and no one seemed to reach forward to take the blaster from her.

"They're going to kill you, and then they're going to torture us until we die," Lys clenched her jaw, her eyes tearing up. "Gideon is the reason for these scars and for my lisp and the reason I can never sleep at night. So will- will someone-" she faltered, her eyes landing on Din. "Please."

He froze, staring at her before words fell from his lips, "There has to be another way."

"There's not," Lys said quietly. "Gideon will not stop until he has me and the child."

Her eyes locked back in with Din. She could see his fingers clenching into a fist, unable to admit defeat. But he was out of plans. They would shoot their way out, or die trying.

"This is unacceptable," IG-11 spoke up, shaking his head. "I will eliminate the enemy, and you will escape."

"You don't have that kind of firepower, pal," Din said, his eyes never once leaving Lys' face. "You wouldn't even get to daylight."

"That is not my objective," the droid spoke, causing Lys and Din to turn back and look up at the IG unit. "I still have the security protocols from my manufacturer. If my designs are compromised, I must self-destruct."

"What are you talking about?" Din asked.

"IG-" Lys realized what he was talking about, her blaster dropping to her side.

"I am not permitted to be captured. I must be destroyed," the IG unit spoke. He looked to Din and set down the jetpack he had been carrying for him. "I can no longer carry this for you," he turned to Lys. "Nor can I help you care for this child."

"Wait, you can't self-destruct," Din sounded confused as he glanced back over at Lys, who had managed to calm herself back down, feeling the light breathing to the child cradled against her chest. "Your base command is to watch the child. That supersedes your manufacturer's protocol, right?" Din asked.

"Correct."

"Good, now grab a blaster and help us shoot our way out," Din said. He was completely unwilling to let the droid self-sacrifice. It wasn't an option. 

"Victory through combat is impossible," IG-11 spoke. "We will be captured. The child will be lost. Sadly, there is no scenario where the child is saved, in which I survive."

"Listen, you're not going anywhere," Din protested. "We need you. Let's just come up with a-"

"Please tell me the child will be safe in your care," IG spoke, looking at Lys, who nodded gently. He then looked to Din, waiting for his additional nod, but Din was speechless. "If you do so, I can default to my secondary command."

"But you'll be destroyed," Din protested.

"And you will live, and I will have served my purpose," IG spoke.

"No. We need you," Din argued.

Lys could tell that IG-11 had grown on Din, especially after the droid had saved them and the child when he had blasted through the town. She stepped towards Din and placed her hand in his for a moment, comforting him as best she could.

"There is nothing to be sad about. I have never been alive," the IG unit spoke.

"I'm not sad," Din said, squeezing Lys' hand for a moment before letting go. He was putting on a brave face for the world, but she knew that he was not truly okay.

"Yes, you are," IG-11 spoke, also noticing Din's tone. "I'm a nurse droid. I've analyzed your voice," he said this last part before turning and moving to the edge of the boat.

"IG!" Lys called, and the droid paused, turning its eyes to look at her. She gave him a soft smile, a sort of loving gesture that one can only give another in their last moments. "Thank you."

Her words were resolute, knowing full well that the droid was going to give up its life for all of theirs. Without him, she would have either died or been returned to Gideon, and she would be given a chance at a better life because of the droid.

They all watched as IG stepped out of the boat, directly into the molten lava and trudged forward as they were almost at the mouth of the river. They watched as he moved forward, out into the light. It was dead silent for a moment until there was a loud explosion, eviscerating IG-11 and everything nearby.

As the cloud of smoke evaporated in front of them, Lys looked around, her blaster in hand, as they exited the tunnel and reached the lava flats, the platoon of stormtroopers all dead in the explosion.

"Maker," Lys allowed that word to slip from her lips.

The silence echoed around them as they drifted out into the light. Lys felt herself sigh with relief,l as she scanned the sky in front of her.

But the peace did not last long for all of a sudden, there was a familiar roar of a tie fighter approaching.

She looked back to her left to see Moff Gideon's TIE approaching at breakneck speed. Din pushed her down to the floor of the ferry boat, the others pulling their blasters up to fire back at Gideon as he rained hellfire down on them.

Lys heard the child whimper in her arms as the loud explosions rocked the boat. She could feel herself breathing hard as the TIE pulled up and began to circle back for another run.

"He missed!" Cara shouted.

"He won't next time," Din said darkly.

"Your blasters are useless against him," Lys shook her head and stood, watching the tie circle in the distance.

"Let's make the baby do the magic hand thing," Greef said, making Lys look at him in shock as he peered over at the child. "Come on, baby! Do the magic hand thing!" He said, waving at the child.

"What the hell?" Lys said out loud. She watched as the child cooed and waved back, making her roll her eyes.

"Oh whatever, I'm out of ideas," Greef said, clearly panicking more.

"I'm not," Din said surely. 

Lys watched as Din reached down and picked up his jetpack, standing forward on the edge of the boat.

"Din?" Lys asked, watching as he put on his jetpack. He looked back at her for a moment, trying to reassure her before turning back, his eyes only on Gideon.

Lys ducked back down as Greef and Cara began to fire on the rapidly-approaching tie fighter, and she cradled the child against her chest as Din ignited his jetpack, testing it for a moment. Gideon began to fire as he approached them right from the front, when suddenly, just as he reached them, Din jetted up into the air, used his wire, and snagged onto the tie fighter. 

She stood up abruptly and watched as Din was dragged through the air, and away from them, becoming only a speck as Gideon's TIE flew away from the group on the ground.

"Lys, come on, we have to get off the ferry and get you and the kid somewhere safe," Cara's voice pulled Lys' gaze back from the fight in the air.

Lys nodded and jumped from the ferry onto the lava flat. She peered up at the sky as she heard the faint hum of the tie fighter. Lys watched as suddenly, the tie fighter seemed to explode as it neared them, going into a large spin, fire bursting from the wing.

The TIE flew over them, crashing down into the field in a collision of dust and ash and lava.

She then heard a small noise and she looked up as suddenly, Din came flying through the air. His new jetpack slowed him down as he landed near them, falling down to his knees slightly before standing up.

Lys didn't waste a second before she raced towards him, using one arm to hold the child up in the sling and the other to trace Din's arms to make sure he was alright.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," he said quietly, placing his arms on her shoulders, taking a quiet moment to scan both her and the child.

"Was it- was it him?" Lys said quietly, wanting to know if Gideon had been in the cockpit.

"Gideon's dead," Din confirmed. "He was in the cockpit when it crashed."

Lys looked over across the lava flats to where the dust was still settling around the crash. It had been a long way down. Something deep down in Lys' heart told her that they needed to be sure, but the calmness and security in Din's voice reassured her.

"He won't ever touch you again Lysa," Din's voice was soft this time, bringing her back, out of her uncertainty.

At his voice, she nodded her head, and her hand dropped from his arm. The two of them turned to watch as Cara and Greef finally approached, having given the two of them a moment alone.

"Impressive, Mando. Impressive," Greef spoke. "Looks like your Guild rates have just gone up."

"Are there any more stormtroopers?" Din asked, looking over to where the ferry was, by the mass of dead troopers.

"I think we cleaned up the town," Greef said.

"I'm thinking of staying around just to be sure," Cara added, surprising both Lys and Din at her words.

It was clear that while Lys had been exchanging words with Din, they had also been talking to each other.

"You're staying here?" Din asked, knowing that Lys would have the same question.

"Well, why not?" Greef retorted. "Nevarro is a very fine planet. And now that the scum and villainy have been washed away, it's very respectable again."

"As a bounty hunter hive?"

"Some of my favorite people are bounty hunters," Greef said, reaching over and smacking Din on the shoulder. He reeled back for a moment, realizing that he had smacked the armor. 

Lys chuckled to herself for a moment, allowing a laugh to escape her lips for the first time in a while. She relaxed, and her worries seemed to drift away. She pulled the child from his sling on her chest and placed him down on the ground, allowing him to stomp around on the lava flats for a moment while they spoke together.

"Besides," Greef continued to speak, "maybe this specimen of a soldier might consider joining our ranks." He turned to Cara for a moment.

The two seemed to bicker for a moment, talking of the future, but Lys' eyes had wandered to where Din was looking. He was deep in thought as he watched the child stomping back towards them. She could feel his hand snake up and touch the small of her back, pulling her in closer to him.

"Din," Lys said just quietly enough, getting his attention.

"You could stay here," he said quietly. "With Cara. You would be safe. Or- or I could bring you back to Sorgan. You were happy there."

"I was happy there, yes," Lys said softly. "But I was happy because I was with you." 

Din looked at her, his arm squeezing her waist gently. His helmet was tilted so the light of the dimming sun reflected off, just so it gave his helmet an orange glow.

"I could try to come and visit," he said. "I want you to be safe."

"I'm safe now. You've taken care of the one thing in the world I've feared the most," Lys admitted.

They stood there for a moment before a cooing noise brought Lys' attention to where the child was, now hugging Din's leg. Lys chuckled again. 

"And besides, you need help with him," she said, nudging Din in the arm. He looked down for a moment at the child before bending over and picking him up into his arms.

"You're right," he said.

"You would be welcome back into the Guild with open arms," Greef said to the three of them. "Take time off, the three of you. Whenever you're ready to return, you'll have the pick of all quarries, and the two of them can stay safely here with us."

"Thank you," Lys said kindly to Greef. He had begun to grow on her a little bit.

"But I'm afraid we have more pressing matters at hand," Din tilted his helmet to look at the child and then look over to Lys.

"Take care of the little one," Cara said, looking over and tapping the child on the ears.

"Or maybe, it'll take care of you," Greef said, looking at the child and then at Lys and Din.

Din thanked them quietly before handing the child over to Lys. She secured him tightly in the sling before Din turned them away from Cara and Greef. She could feel his arm still around her waist as they took a few steps.

"Ready?" He asked her.

She already knew what he meant. She turned to face him, allowing him to hold both her and the child as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He took a few more steps before launching them into the air, moving towards the Razor Crest.

Lys buried her face into the crook of his neck the entire time, not wanting to look down at the ground below them. It didn't take long before they lowered and found themselves back on the ground once more.

Once she could feel her feet touch the ground, she peeled herself away from him, turning and looking for the Razor Crest, but what she found instead made her collapse to her knees in pain.

The lifeless body of Kuiil was on the ground, only a few meters away from the Razor Crest. The blurrg he had been riding lay dead not too far from his body.

"He was so close," Lys spoke, allowing the soft words to leave her lips.

Din didn't say anything to her. He simply stepped beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I will bury him," he finally spoke.

"This time, I want to help," Lys said softly, standing up beside him.

The two of them didn't have to speak, working in silence as they began to dig a shallow grave for their friend. Lys stepped aside as Din gently carried Kuiil's body from where it lay and set it down into the grave.

He removed Kuiil's helmet and goggles, to use them as a grave marker. Together, they then covered his body with sand and rock before setting the helmet beside the grave.

Lys stepped back and watched as Din knelt, touching the grave with his hand before pulling back and looking to Lys.

"He was free," she said, a soft smile on her face. "He died free of debt, free of burden. And now he will forever be free of pain."

"And you?" Din asked this question, reminding Lys of the secrets she had kept from him. It was clear to her that he was curious, that he wanted to know more about her past than she had ever revealed to anyone.

"I'm not sure," Lys said quietly.

"Will you tell me of it all?" He asked.

"In time," she said. "For now, I want nothing more than to be free of this place."

The child cooed from his place against her chest, and she smiled, "I think he's thinking the same thing."

Din agreed, and the three of them made their way up to the Razor Crest. Lys found herself back in her seat in the cockpit, the child now secure in his pram, and Din in the pilot's seat in front of her.

She looked out over the sky, the setting sun lighting the cockpit as Din prepped the Razor Crest for takeoff. She hummed to herself, feeling the purr of the engines as they roared to life around her. 

Suddenly, she could hear the child chewing on something, and she sat up, Din twirling in his chair to see what was going on.

"What do you have there?" He asked, reaching out and taking the small object from the child's hands and looking at it.

Lys furrowed her brows as she recognized the small necklace that Din had handed off to Cara in the shadows of the fight in town. When he had thought that he would die, this small necklace had been given to the child.

"I never thought I would see this again," he admitted before handing it back to the child. "Why don't you hang on to that?"

Lys smiled, twirling the small beskar ring on her finger as Din spun back to the controls of the cockpit. He pushed a few buttons before his hand went to take off into the sky.

As the ground dropped away below them, all Lys could see was sky, and then space. And for some reason, even though the space around them seemed vast and empty, her heart was full, knowing that her entire world was with her right there.

And everything would be okay.


	16. Between Seasons, Episode 1: The Domestic Life

They didn't really have anywhere to go, as they drifted off into the sky. Lys knew, however, that she would follow wherever Din took them.

He pushed the Razor Crest into hyperspace, and turned to look back at where Lys was. She realized then that he was beyond exhausted, and he would have to examine his wounds.

"Go," she said gently. "I'll keep an eye on things up here."

"Thank you," he said these words, and Lys knew he meant them for more than just watching over the Crest as they flew to their destination.

"He speaks," she said softly, her tone reminiscent of the first time they had spoken to each other. She could see that he relaxed slightly at her words.

As Din passed her to go down and rest, he couldn't help but gently brush his fingers across her shoulder, wanting nothing more than to hold her and kiss her once more, but he knew that he was too exhausted to do anything else.

Lys heard his footsteps receding and the refresher door slide closed before she stood and stretched, moving into the pilot's seat.

It felt foreign to her, sitting at the helm of the small tin can speeding through space. She had never sat up there before, but she looked out at the bright stars as they sped along, enjoying the peace and softness that they brought her.

She suddenly felt something rustling at her feet, and she looked to see the child was trying to climb up her chair, and she laughed, pulling him up to sit in her lap.

Lys peered across the front of the ship, taking in all of the controls and switches before she noticed the small metal ball that belonged to the child sitting on one of the panels, clearly untouched since the last time they had been on the Razor Crest.

She reached over and picked it up, dropping it into the child's hand before noticing the coordinates of where the Razor Crest was headed.

They were returning to Arvala-7. She hummed to herself, realizing that Din was probably taking them back to the farm where Kuiil had lived. The Mandalorian never left things unfinished.

She sat back, pulling her knees up to her chest and allowing the child to curl up between them, resting his head and floppy ears against her chest as he clutched tightly to his ball.

Lys kept herself awake for a couple of hours, listening to the hum of the ship and the light snores of the child as he slept against her, happy and secure in her arms.

But before long, she began to doze off, her head leaning back against the chair, too tired to stay awake any longer.

It was in the pilot's seat that Din found her a few hours later. He had managed to fix up his wounds and sleep for a few hours, which would be sufficient for him.

When he reached the top of the ladder of the cockpit, he couldn't help but smile to himself as he heard Lys' light breathing and the snores of the child. He could just see her hair draping over the side of the pilot's seat slightly, and part of him sighed.

He had never let her, or anyone else, up there in his seat before. He hated giving others control over him or his things, but for some reason, he had given her everything so easily.

From the way he had given Lys his name after only a week of knowing her, the way he had begun to reach for her hand so often, the way he had let her remove his helmet, it went against every condition in his body. And yet it felt right. He trusted her with everything he had and everything he was.

Now looking at her sleeping in his chair, instead of anger, he was content to stand back for a moment and watch them sleep. His ad'ika. His cyar'ika.

He took another breath, finally stepping forward towards the chair. He gently turned it, bending slightly to picked her and the child up.

He pulled them into his arms, Lys's head rolling back slightly onto his shoulder slightly. He felt her shift in his arms as he set her back in her own chair. He took the child and placed him in his pram, closing it so that it was nice and dark for him.

"Din?" He could hear Lys' sleepy voice ring clear through his helmet.

"Go back to sleep, cyar'ika," he let the word slip from his mouth, and he almost choked, trying to keep it from coming out.

But it didn't seem as though she noticed him saying this, as she was fast asleep once more, her feathery breathing returning.

Din sighed, reaching down and brushing her hair from her face and studying her features for a moment.

She was so peaceful like this, a stark contrast to the terror he had seen deep within her eyes on Nevarro.

He had seen her scared before, yes, worried and concerned, but nothing like the wild horror and shock from only hours before.

When she had held out the blaster on the ferry, asking someone to kill her and the child so that they never ended up in Gideon's hands, he had felt her gaze rest on him.

He had frozen, bolted to the ground, completely unable to fathom why she would ask him that. But he had also seen the way that she had acted when Gideon had called out to her.

The way it looked as though she had immediately been pulled into a trance, her mind and body no longer her own. What Gideon had done to her, Din didn't know, but he knew that he would kill Gideon a thousand times over for it.

And he knew he would have pulled the trigger. He would have done anything if she had asked. He still would, and it absolutely terrified him.

He finally looked away from her face and slumped down into his chair, taking a deep breath.

He wasn't sure what their future would hold, but he knew that the best course of action was to give them both time to rest for a while. And once they were rested, they would worry about the future.

Lys slept until she felt them come out of hyperspace, and she woke up, rubbing her eyes slightly. The child was still in his closed pram, having been worn out from the events of the previous day.

Din was quiet until they landed next to Kuiil's empty farm, untouched and unbothered by the Jawas or by any other critters.

They descended from the cockpit together, the pram following Din's movements. They gathered two bags with a few important items before walking down the ramp and towards the small farm.

They entered with no problem, but part of Lys wondered if Kuiil would be okay with them staying there for a little while.

As if Din was able to hear her hesitation as he peered around the place, blaster in hand in case someone else had arrived first, he turned back to her and spoke.

"It's what he would have wanted. We will stay here until we're rested and then we can sell it to another farmer."

Lys wrinkled her nose before nodding. It made her feel a little bit better. She found the kitchen and a sleeping area, and she allowed herself to relax completely.

"Are you hungry?" She asked, looking over at Din. "I can cook something for us."

"We have ration packs," Din motioned to one of the bags he had set down in the entryway.

Lys rolled her eyes, noting that he had put it in an inconvenient spot. Men. She trudged over and pulled out the ration packs before shaking her head.

"I'm not eating those again," she told him. "They're disgusting and bland, and for once I want to eat. Really eat."

"Okay," Din said dubiously. He had become so accustomed to eating the rations over the years that it didn't phase him, but a warm meal was much better than the chalky packages, so he agreed to it.

He watched as Lys grabbed the pack with the rations and disappeared into the kitchen, beginning to make something.

Din wasn't really sure what to do, so he went and checked on the child, who was now awake in his pram, having slept for a good eight hours at that point.

He pulled the child down to the ground and watched as he pattered around, the little ball in his hand. His little ears waved slightly in the wind that blew through the house, and he perked his ears up when he began to smell something coming from the kitchen.

The child raced away toward the kitchen, his mind always focused on his tummy. Din followed after, peering into the small area just as Lys managed to find a couple of bowls.

It appeared as though she had taken two of the ration packs and fixed them up, making them better than they actually were. She had used some of Kuiil's seasonings and was making tea for them both.

Lys seemed happy there, right at home as she relaxed, the previous day being slowly pulled from her mind.

She noticed Din standing at the entrance to the kitchen and the child making his way towards her.

"Here," she said, taking one of the bowls and filling it with the soup-like mixture. "It's not the best, but it's better than how it was intended," she shrugged.

"Thank you," Din nodded.

"The child and I can eat at the table if you would like to go stay here to eat," she offered. "I'll be gone soon."

Din watched as she finished up, taking a bowl for her and the child to share and a cup of tea. She began to leave the kitchen, squeezing past Din as the child toddled after her.

He held his breath as she passed by, her hips brushing against him lightly before she disappeared around the corner.

Lys sat, feeding the child, two bites for her every one. She looked away from the direction of the kitchen as she heard the faint hiss and metal clunk of Din removing his helmet.

She wondered if she had gone too far, saving him on Nevarro, and she felt guilty for it. But her thoughts did not wander for too long, as Din had returned to spend time with her and the child as they finished their meal.

Lys knew that he hated having his helmet off. It wasn't something that he had told her explicitly, but she had always noticed that he took his meals quickly, and even when he showered, it was never very long.

Whether it was because he genuinely didn't like removing his helmet, or because he was afraid that someone would see him, she wasn't sure. Part of Lys even wondered if it was because of a lingering temptation to never put it back on again.

Once they had all finished, Lys cleared the dishes and cleaned them, giving Din a moment alone with the child.

When she returned, Din was sitting on the floor with the child, absentmindedly rolling the silver ball so that the child had to go race after it.

"Hi," Lys finally spoke, plopping down on the ground beside him, watching as he rolled the ball again and the child ran across the hall after it. "I think we should talk," she said.

Din pulled himself from his thoughts and nodded. They would have a lot of decisions to make in the coming days.

"Agreed," Din said. He watched as the child clomped over and fell into Lys' lap, trying to chew on the ball.

"Careful with that," Lys said, noticing the same thing and pulling the ball from his mouth before turning to Din. "What are we even doing?" She asked him. "I know that your duty is to the child now, to return him to his people."

"He is in my care until we can locate a Jedi to take him," Din nodded. "Tomorrow I will begin looking for other covens. You can stay here with the child, and I will return as often as I can-"

"Slow down," Lys shook her head- putting out her free hand to stop him from going any further. "First of all, you will not be starting tomorrow. You almost died yesterday, and you need time to rest and heal," she objected. "As for your plans to search for the coven," she narrowed her eyes. "If your duty is to protect and care for the child, then he goes wherever you go."

Din bit back a snappy reply, because he knew she was right. Instead, he tilted his helmet in thought before agreeing. They would stay together, and he knew that rest would do him well.

"And what about you?" Din asked quietly. "You're free of duty."

"This child is my duty just as it is yours," Lys said. "I will stay with him and help you look for his kind. Besides, I know you both need me."

"Yes, I do," Din didn't realize that those words had slipped from his mouth until he watched Lys react, a twitch of a smile on her face.

He could see her tongue lick over her lips as she blushed slightly and looked down to see the child was handing her the silver ball.

"We should also take stock of what the farm has and make sure it is taken care of and in good hands," she rolled the silver ball down the hall and the child scampered off after it.

"And we need to stock up the Razor Crest. It may be a long time before we ever get a good break like this again," Din said. "Anything you need besides the essentials?"

Lys watched as the child returned, looking a bit bored as he plopped down on the ground, letting the ball fall to the floor in front of him.

"If we can spare the credits," she started, "maybe another outfit for the child and a toy for him."

Din thought for a moment. He had stored up many credits, and if they could get a decent amount for Kuiil's farm, then they would be well-set for many months.

"That will be fine," he said. "But what do you need?" He nodded in her direction.

"Oh," Lys looked down at herself and shook her head. "Nothing, I don't think."

Din tilted his helmet before shaking his head, "We'll get you a few things too."

Lys reluctantly agreed, and soon the two of them sat in silence, watching as the child played contentedly by himself as his most favorite people watched on.

"There's something else," Lys said quietly, turning her gaze to Din. She had lost her confidence, and she looked away. "I'm sorry for what happened on Nevarro. I should have told you what I was doing and asked if it was okay. I- I swore to you to never be the reason you break your Creed, but now I'm not so sur-"

"It's fine," Din cut her off. "You never saw my face," he explained. He knew it was a loophole, something that had never really been spoken of as a part of his Creed, but it was something he clung to.

"Oh, okay," Lys said twisting her hands together until he reached over and stopped her.

"You saved my life, Lys," he said. "I owe you a life debt."

"No, Din. You killed Moff Gideon," she said quietly. "You owe me nothing."

Din gave her hand a gentle squeeze. It was reassurance and encouragement, telling her that he was listening. And so she talked.

"When I was a young girl, my stepmother sold me into slavery," she started, lacing her hand into his while they sat together on the floor. "I was bought and sold, traded like nothing more than a few credits. When I was 16, I was brought into the service of the Empire. They freed me, but in exchange, I would work for them for a set amount of time," she trailed off and shook her head.

"At first it wasn't bad, I did what I was told, and I was just on a worker at an experimental training facility. Until I met Moff Gideon. He was coming by for inspections, and I caught his eye. It wasn't long until he had me transferred to his service, and he turned me into-" she trailed off for a moment, shivering slightly.

"I was an experiment," she said quietly. "He said he wanted to know how to control and perfect the minds of others, to turn them into soldiers. In the five years that I was with him, he had managed to completely crush and control my mind and body. I can't- I can't explain it, but whenever I would see him, I would do things that just didn't make sense," she could feel tears filling her eyes as she continued, trying to fight the emotions that flooded through her mind as she told him about her past.

The child had wandered over at that point, seeming to notice the sadness on Lys' face, he reached up to be held, and she pulled him into her arms. He clutched tightly to her chest, knowing that she would often calm just by being near him. He tucked his ears in and closed his eyes, beginning to fall asleep against her.

Lys finally turned back to Din and continued, "He- he did things to me, he had me do things to myself that I can't even repeat to you," she shook her head. "I was- I was a monster, Din. Completely helpless and subdued to do as I was told, and that wasn't even the worst part," she said.

"The worst part was being fully aware, knowing exactly what I was doing but being helpless to stop it. My mind would scream against my actions, but I did them anyway. It's how I lost part of my tongue," she let go of his hand and reached up to touch her lips. "He had me bite it off myself."

At that, she fell silent and she would not meet Din's eyes as she sat on the floor, a look of defeat and exhaustion at thinking through everything that happened to her.

"Lys," Din moved closer to her, his hand going and pulling her chin up to look at him. As her gaze landed on his helmet, he spoke once more. "You survived. And now he will never touch you again," he leaned over and pressed his helmet to her forehead.

"I know," Lys said quietly, her eyes now closed as her forehead rested on the cool beskar. "When I saw him yesterday, it had been five years since I had managed to get away from him. He had left me to my own devices for a few weeks. When I finally regained control of myself fully out of his presence, I left. I had no money, no possessions of my own, and it wasn't long before I was picked up by a slaving ship as put back into the trade. Luckily they don't keep good books, and I slipped through a few fingers until I met you."

Din sighed, his eyes never once leaving her face as she spoke, the whispers barely leaving a trace against his helmet.

"I was lucky to be found by the Mandalorians," he said quietly. "My parents were killed when I was just a child. If it hadn't been for them, I would be dead too."

Lys's eyes flickered up, her eyes wet with tears as she reached up and touched the helmet, where his cheek would probably be.

"And I would be dead too if it weren't for you," she said quietly. "When we met, if you hadn't stopped IG, I would just be another body amongst the hive of mercenaries and bounty hunters. So thank you, Din," she spoke his name kindly. "Thank you for giving me more than I ever deserve. For being strong and for caring for me and for the child. You are a good man."

Din didn't know what to say. He closed his eyes beneath the helmet, feeling a shaky breath escape his body. He had needed to hear that from her. That reassurance that she trusted him, that she needed him as much as he needed her.

"Close your eyes," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lys looked down to see that the child was sound asleep in her arms before looking back up at him and closing her eyes.

She tensed as she heard the hiss of his helmet and a shuffling noise as he removed one of his gloves. She felt his rough hand touch the skin on her cheek before pulling her in for a kiss. It was deeper than the first one, slower and with less urgency.

She wanted desperately to touch his face, to really feel it and learn its every curve, but she held herself back, worried that she might spook him.

And all too soon, Din broke the kiss, knowing that if they went further, it would be a hundred times more difficult to put the helmet back on.

Lys sighed as she heard him pick it back up and place it back on, sealing it firmly onto his head. Her eyes fluttered open, and she found herself looking up at the visor in his helmet, knowing somehow that his eyes were looking right back at her.

"That was-" she didn't know how to describe what had happened. She couldn't even describe exactly what she wanted or needed from Din.

They sat there for a moment longer before Lys found herself stifling a yawn. They had slept only a few hours ago, but she felt drowsy once more.

"Get some rest," Din said gently. "I'm going to take stock of things here and on the Razor Crest."

He stood and reached down, pulling Lys up beside him. She thanked him, finding that his kiss had conveyed a thousand more thoughts and emotions compared to his normally short conversations.

She watched as he walked out from the small house, leaving Lys and the child to rest.


	17. Between Seasons, Episode 2: The Farewell

By the time the sun rose once more on the planet, Din had finished taking stock of the house and the Razor Crest, and Lys had put together a list of items that they needed to purchase before they would be able to leave to look for the child's people.

Din took the list and went into the nearest town, confident in his ability to leave Lys alone at the farm with the child. He walked through the market, purchasing a few things at nearly every stall when he looked over as something caught his eye. It was a new sling, green and blue, something not too flashy, but not old and worn. He had noticed that even the sling she had crafted a few months ago was beginning to wear down.

He made his way over to the stall, eyeing the sling inside.

"How much?" He pointed to it.

"75 credits," the old woman running the stand said, a bright smile on her face.

Din's face fell beneath his helmet. 75 credits was a lot. He seemed to think for a moment, trying to remember exactly how much he had brought with him.

"May I ask who you would be buying it for?"

"Uh, my uh-" he found himself stumbling over his words. The woman's question had caught him off guard.

"Hm," the old woman chuckled. "I can sell it to you for 60."

60 was still a hefty price, but Din thought about how Lys would smile and thank him, and how she had asked for absolutely nothing for her own self. He nodded his head to the old woman and grabbed the credits from his bag and taking the sling.

Din was aware of the rather light purse, so he soon made his way to speak with a few of the village leaders in order to find where and how to sell the farm.

By the time he returned, Lys had just finished making another round of the ration packs for dinner, and she heard him walk in the door. She peered around the corner, sighing with relief when she recognized him.

They fell into a pattern, with Lys leaving the food in the kitchen for him to eat before joining her and the baby as they finished their own dinner at the table.

"How did your trip go?" Lys asked him. "Did you find out anything new?"

Din relayed some good news about the farm being an easy-to-sell land, being out away from people, but close to a handful of natural resources. Lys smiled at that and then watched happily as he began to procure things from his bag. At first, it was simple, food, water, soap, maintenance tools that he was going to need. Then he pulled out two toys for the child.

Lys had told him to get a toy that was soft and shiny, but Din had clearly been unable to find one that fit both categories, going instead for two toys, a small plush Bantha, and a bright, shiny rattle, that was not incredibly noisy but was also amusing.

"You did good," Lys approved, handing the two toys to the child.

He cooed excitedly, clutching both toys in his arms, unsure of which to play with first. Lys smiled and then looked up just as Din pulled out the sling.

"I got this," he said. "I noticed the one you wear was falling apart after Nevarro, and I saw this."

"Is that- for me?" She asked quietly, clasping her hands together, her eyes wide as he reached out, handing it to her.

"Take it," Din said. "It's yours."

Lys took it gingerly from his arms. The fabric was soft, and it was much prettier than the one she had put together herself on the Razor Crest. It appeared much more comfortable and sturdy and did not have any holes.

"It's beautiful," Lys said, gently placing the child down and wrapping the new sling around her before picking up the child, who was shaking his new rattle violently and placing him down in the sling.

Almost immediately he stopped, adjusting so that he was kind of sitting up in the sling, his ear tips just barely peeking out over the edge. He rolled slightly before looking up at Lys.

"I think he likes it, too," Lys chuckled, seeing how easily he had made himself comfortable. "Not as much as I do, I don't think," she shook her head, tracing her fingertips over the fabric. She realized that it must have been expensive, so she smiled over at Din, who was nervously sitting on the chair beside her. "You didn't have to."

"Yes, I did," DIn said firmly.

They enjoyed the rest of their time together that evening before parting just shortly after the child had fallen asleep. Lys slept in Kuiil's old room while Din slept out in the Razor Crest, claiming his cabin was very comfortable.

But he kept the door open to the Crest, making sure that he was plenty close enough if Lys ever called out to him.

The days went by slowly and soon enough they had been at the farm for a week and then a couple of weeks. Lys knew that Din was working on finalizing the sale of the farm, but a small part of her couldn't help but wish the place could be theirs forever.

It was peaceful, and she found the life there freeing and so domestic. It reminded her of the brief images and glimpses she could remember from her childhood when her mother and father had been with her all those years ago.

One morning, she had just finished cleaning the Razor Crest, the child strapped to her chest when she saw Din approaching. She wiped the sweat from her brow and moved to sit down on the ramp of the ship as he stood down at the bottom.

"How are you this morning?" She asked him.

He had left early to go into the town to check in with a few more people about the whole selling process. She watched as he tossed something at her, and she caught it.

It was a decent-sized money bag, and she peered inside, her eyes widening at the sight within. There were thousands of credits right there. She looked up to Din, surprised and shocked at the amount of money she now held in her hands.

"Where did you get this?" She asked.

"I sold it," Din said proudly. "I sold the farm. There's plenty of credits to last us a long time, and the people who purchased it are a family of Ugnaughts, just like Kuiil."

"That's wonderful news, Din!" Lys exclaimed, jumping to her feet. She clapped her hands together, looking down to see the child squealing up at her. "When do we have to leave by?"

"Tomorrow," Din's voice stopped Lys in her tracks.

"Tomorrow?" She asked him, her hands falling to her side. "I thought-"

"I know," Din said quietly. "But they offered a thousand credits to move in right away, and I had to take it."

"I see," Lys tried to hide her disappointment. Their stay at the farm had been actually quite nice. She had felt more at peace those two weeks than she had been in many years. Their time on Sorgan even paled in comparison to their time together on Arvala-7 because it really was just the three of them and their tiny little clan.

Lys sighed and handed the credits back to Din, "Find a safe place to store these, and I'll start packing our things away."

He took them from her gingerly and watched as she descended from the ramp and made her way towards the farm. She soon disappeared back inside, putting herself to work, taking only the things that were most needed and storing them into the handful of trunks that they had off-loaded from the Razor Crest.

She put the child down and allowed him to roam around the house while she worked on preparing them to get back on the road. Lys was quiet and thoughtful, her mind wandering and wondering what her life would look like if she just remained on Arvala-7.

It wasn't a terrible planet, granted, she hated how dry and sandy it was. A part of her longed to settle down on a planet with trees and water running everywhere, cool and humid, just like her home as a young girl, but the other part was ready for their next adventure.

The little home had begun to feel like home finally, and she hated to have to leave it. But then the sand began to whip around slightly, dusting her face and she grimaced.

"I don't like sand," she huffed, chuckling to herself. "I guess that decides it, then."

She heard a giggle, and she turned to see the child peeking out from around the door to the bedroom. Lys noted that she had finished packing everything from the back, and the waning sun had begun to set.

She moved the trunks to the door for Din to grab and put back on the Razor Crest, leaving one to pack in the morning with all of her and the child's essential items. She then began to make dinner, using a small portion of fresh meat and some grains.

She left some in the kitchen for Din, calling him into the house for dinner before sitting at the table and beginning to eat.

Tonight, she was quiet, eating slowly and trying to take in the calmness around them, listening to the sound of the wind outside, the quiet munching of the child beside her, and she closed her eyes for just a moment, trying to soak it all in.

She would miss this. She really would.

Lys almost didn't notice as Din slid into the seat beside her, joining her and the child after he had finished his own dinner like always. He watched as she barely looked up in acknowledgment, still lost in thought as her eyes quickly reverted to the child as she spooned food into his mouth.

He watched on in silence until he couldn't take it anymore, "Are you okay?" He asked.

Lys looked up at him, finally meeting his eyes, "I'm okay," she replied. "Just, a bit sad about leaving here. It's been- nice," she said. "With not much to do, no one to worry about, we're not on the run anymore," she sighed quietly.

"But now it's time to reunite him with his people," Din reminded her.

"I know," she nodded. "I know."

He noticed her disheartened expression and reached his hand over to rest on hers, stilling her movement to feed the child. She pulled her gaze back to meet his, and he leaned in, resting his helmet against her forehead.

They didn't say anything, it was just a comforting gesture, but Lys could tell that he didn't really like the idea of having to leave either. She had often seen him peering in and watching her and the child playing together whenever he wasn't working on the Razor Crest or off to the town. She knew that it was comforting to him, and that, in turn, comforted her.

"Will you-" she pulled back from him to look at the window of his visor. "Will you sleep in here tonight?" She felt bold asking that question. "Like back on Sorgan?"

Din scanned her for a moment before agreeing. One night with her and the child, their last night of peace and rest would mean more to her than anything he could ever give her.

And so soon after they had finished their meal, they retired to the bedroom. Lys pulled on her soft nightgown in the privacy of the bathroom before returning to find Din already laying in the bed with the child, his armor removed and sitting just beside him.

The child was climbing all over him, occasionally jumping on his chest, which made Lys laugh from where she stood just outside the door.

"I'm being attacked," Din said, looking up to her just as the child jumped on his stomach, making him groan slightly.

"I can tell. You've somehow managed to wind him up just before bedtime," she shook her head, stepping inside, closing the door behind her, and approaching the bed. "Ad'ika," she used their name for the child, calling his attention to her.

However, instead of settling him down, seeing Lys enter again made him even more excited and so he waddled over and launched himself off the bed towards her. She cried out, having to dive forward slightly to catch him before collapsing onto the bed.

Din laughed. It wasn't a mere chuckle, it was a genuine, hearty laugh, that made Lys smile widely. She looked over to where he lay, propped up slightly on his elbows, wearing just his helmet and his clothes, laughing. And it made her laugh too.

She rolled up on the bed beside Din, the child playing between them as they watched on in silence. But all too soon, the child started to yawn, and Lys put him over in his pram, where he soon fell asleep.

When she returned to bed, she lay there, facing Din, her eyes lingering on his helmet. She hummed quietly to herself before closing her eyes. She lay there for a moment, feeling exhaustion roll over her in waves before she felt a hand wrap around her waist and pull her across the bed.

She opened her eyes to see that her face was only inches from his chest, but she soon closed the gap, burying her face into her chest, her body pressed up against his.

"Goodnight, Din," she said quietly, content to be once more in his arms.

"Goodnight," he replied, adjusting his grip on her slightly before resting his head back on the bed. But he didn't close his eyes.

Instead, he watched her for a little while, comforted by her scent and the feeling of her breath on his chest. He relaxed, his hand moving from her waist to her face, stroking it gently until he heard her mutter.

"You're supposed to be sleeping," she said sleepily.

"I know," he said. "I am."

"Clearly," she replied, opening an eye and looking up at him.

"I will," he replied, chuckling at her dubious glance.

Satisfied with his answer, Lys closed her eye and snuggled back in against him, and this time, he closed his eyes too, and they slept together, all through the night until the sun finally began to peek over the horizon, welcoming them to a new day, and the last one they would be spending on Arvala-7.

The morning was a little rushed, with Lys cooking a quick breakfast and the house was checked over time and time again to make sure it was ready for its new owners.

She had just put away the last trunk and was sitting in the Razor Crest playing with the child when Din's voice called from outside.

"They're here!"

She picked the child up and placed him in the sling Din had bought for her before descending from the ramp. Lys saw Din standing inside the compound surrounding the farm, and she arrived at his side just as the Ugnaught family arrived, a large shuttle of items and trunks and boxes in tow.

They were young, with two children no more than 5 or 6 years old. Lys almost cried with happiness, realizing that the farm would be in good hands.

"Welcome," Din called to them.

"Thank you," the Ugnaught man spoke, descending from his speeder, which had been running alongside the shuttle. The woman remained on the shuttle, holding onto the children. The woman eyed Lys, noting the sling wrapped around her, and Lys gave her a kind smile in return.

They then watched as Din and the Ugnaught completed the transaction, with another large bag of credits being handed over to Din.

Satisfied with his work, Din took a deep breath, shook the Ugnaught's hand and turned to Lys.

"Ready?"

"Always," she nodded.

The three of them turned away from the small farm, giving space for the Ugnaughts to begin to descend from their shuttle. Lys walked in comfortable silence across the sandy plains over to where the Razor Crest was now parked. They began to walk up the ramp, but something made Lys stop.

She turned and watched as the young Ugnaught family made their way into the new home. Her remorse and regret evaporated, seeing the looks on their faces, and the sounds of the children's' laughter echoing inside. She looked down to where the child was sitting in the sling, also peering out slightly.

"I'm ready now," she said out loud, her face tilting so she could find Din.

He had stopped at the top of the ramp, waiting patiently just at the door to the Razor Crest. He found himself reaching his hand out to her, which she took gratefully as they entered the Crest together, on the way to their next adventure.


	18. Between Seasons, Episode 3, Part 1: The Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW/W: Brief adult themes (club/stripping). Nonconsensual touching. This chapter isn't particularly important to the overall plot, so if these might be triggering, do not feel like you have to read this!!
> 
> Also, the club scene music inspo is Obnimi - Remix by Eduardo Luzquinos, Okean Elzi)

Little did Lys realize, but there were plenty of people who didn't want to be around a Mandalorian. Often, he was thought to be a bounty hunter, despite having taken a break from that life for a few months, and they would be shot at or thrown out of places despite Din's protests.

She began asking Din to go into the markets completely alone. Not only would it give her some much-needed freedom, but also would keep them from being shot at just for entering a town. 

At first, Din had been hesitant, but as time went on, he relaxed, growing confident in her own ability to stay alive and be safe. When he had allowed her to go alone, she had been ecstatic that he trusted her enough to go alone. She loved being alone out in the world. It had been the first time in a long time that she had been out and about without someone at her side or someone watching her. As much as she appreciated his company, she desired to have her own freedom and independence, and going to the markets alone was one of them.

What Din never told her, though, was that despite how it violated her independence and their trust in one another, on each trip to the market, he still followed her silently and invisible to the naked eye. He hated that he had to pretend to surprised when she bought things or listen to stories of her interactions, but he didn't know what he would do if something happened to her.

In addition to the trips to the market, Lys had grown confident as time had gone on. Her skills were growing constantly with her dagger, and she practiced whenever she could. Sometimes, late at night, she would slip out of her cabin and train outside the ship long after Din had fallen asleep and the sun had sunk beyond the horizons.

So life continued, with its ups and downs in search of information. Lys was happy that life seemed to be easy. However, it was never without its moments.

Din had found a Mandalorian covert trail but was missing a few key pieces of information. They found themselves on Jakku in a large urban hub for a meeting with a spice running client.

Unfortunately, Din had been instructed by an informant that the meeting spot with the client was inside of a notorious club which he found to be impossible to enter due to his status as a former bounty hunter.

He had just returned from scouting out the club and based on the loud stomp and the hunch of his shoulders, Lys could see that he was frustrated.

"What is it?" She asked him, watching as he dumped his extra pack on the floor and slumped against the bench in defeat. He seemed to roll his head back to breathe and focus for a moment before sitting up and looking down to where Lys was sitting on the floor of the Razor Crest with the child, playing together.

"It's pretty much impossible to get into that club," he shook his head. "We're just going to have to out-wait him."

Lys raised an eyebrow and studied his helmet for a second. She seemed to be thinking, before shaking her head, "No, no," she muttered. "Do they let women into the club?" She asked.

Din seemed to study her for a moment before turning away, not dignifying her question with a response. Lys rolled her eyes and huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes as he moved to pick up the child.

"Answer me," she insisted.

"Why would I? You're not going."

"You let me alone out there to go to busy markets! I don't see how this is any different. Besides, it will give me an opportunity to practice my dagger skills!"

"You're not alone," Din let the secret slip from his mouth without thinking. "Besides, this is different and more dangerous. You're not going," Din finished the argument.

Or so he thought. Lys, on the other hand, was confused.

"What do you mean I'm not alone?" She demanded, approaching him and taking the child from his arms. "I go to the market alone now. We made that decision. You- you agreed to that!"

"You go alone, but I never said you would be alone," Din shrugged.

Lys stood there, a horrified expression on her face. Despite how much she cared for Din, the thought of someone watching her when she had thought herself to be completely alone was terrifying. She took a step back, unable to speak as Din turned away from her and went about his business as if what he had said meant nothing.

Lys took a deep breath, turned, and put the child into one of the cabin doors with a few toys and then closing it behind her and approaching Din with a stoic look on her face.

And when she spoke, her voice was unreasonably calm.

"Look at me," she commanded.

Din was shocked at the sound of her voice, and he knew that she was upset. He stood and looked back at her, noting her expression and the way her hands were trembling. He had messed up.

"You have managed to completely violate my privacy and my independence," she said. "You know exactly how that makes me feel. I hate it, Din. The fact that you lied directly to my face is disgusting. I hope you realize that you have managed to completely destroy any and all confidence in you," she clenched her jaw. "And that terrifies me."

"Lys-"

"I'm going to rest now."

With that, she turned away and went to the cabin, holding the child with her.

Din sighed as she closed the door behind them, holding true to her statement. He knew it was best to leave her alone.

He did a bit of maintenance before the sun began to sink. He then grabbed a blanket and threw it over himself as he sat in the seat in the cockpit. He allowed his thoughts to drift, restlessly trying to sleep.

But Din couldn't sleep. He was up in the cockpit for a while until finally, he couldn't wait any longer. He moved down the ladder and made his way over to the cabin. He couldn't sleep while she was angry with him. She was the only person with who he had been so intimately close in a long time, and he needed her.

He knocked on the door to her cabin quietly and waited for a response.

"Lys," he said, knocking again.

It was quiet, and he sighed, knowing that she was ignoring him.

"Lys, please, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have followed you, and I recognize that now. Please-" he felt pathetic, begging her like this. He let out a breath, deciding that if she could ignore him then he could do the same.

Din turned to go when the door to her cabin opened, and he turned back.

But instead of seeing her in the cabin, curled up with the child under their blankets, he was shocked to see the child alone, clutching tightly to his plush Banta, his eyes looking up at Din curiously.

Din stared back, beginning to run through his head all of the various scenarios of where she could be. He immediately turned and moved out of the cargo bay to see if she was training outside, but she was nowhere to be found. And instead, there were footprints etched into the sand.

He knelt down and scanned them, noting that they were heading towards the city. Based on their age, she had left around an hour ago. Din was pissed.

He made his way back into the Razor Crest, grabbing his things, securing the child in the ship, and going out into the night. He was pissed. He was so worried that he was beyond angry with her, and he focused on her prints, tracking her into the city.

He was amazed. Lys had even doubled back on her prints a handful of times to try and throw him off her scent. She seemed to have picked up on a lot more of his own tactics than he had thought previously. He even managed to lose her trail for a few minutes before finding it again in the crowd of people.

He realized where she was headed. She was making her way to the club. In order to cut her off, he had to take a risk. He moved in the opposite direction of the trail, taking a shortcut. He popped back out of an alleyway close to the club, and he scanned the main road.

It was relatively busy for it being late at night. People were making their way in and out of establishments, noisy and drunk, and he scanned the crowd, searching for her. He waited until finally, his gaze landed on a small figure making their way through the crowd, covered by a cloak, and he gritted his teeth.

Lys was making her way hurriedly towards the club, knowing that she needed to get there before Din found out she was gone. Her pace was quick, and she kept her head down, trying to hide in and out of the crowds in case she was being watched.

Suddenly, an arm reached out and snatched her, covering her mouth.

She was pulled into a dark alleyway, and she clutched her dagger tightly, struggling against her opponent, even biting the hand that covered her mouth until she felt her dagger ding loudly against metal.

She froze, finally realizing that the person holding her and speaking to her was none other than Din himself.

"Let go of me," she said. "Din," she snarled his name.

He let go of her, and she pulled back, seeing the outline of his body in the moonlight that entered the alley from behind him. The glint of his armor in the dim light nearly blinded her, so she stepped back from him.

But what she didn't realize was that in their brief struggle, her cloak had unwrapped itself from her body, revealing the scandalous outfit she had stolen from a vendor on the outskirts of the town.

She wasn't particularly fond of wearing revealing clothes, but she had been forced to many times before as a slave for entertainment, and she forgot that Din had never seen her like that.

Din was frozen to the ground for a second, taking her in. His eyes trailed down from where her face was done up slightly with rouge, lip tint, and her eyelashes curled. Her hair was wild and curled, falling down and framing her breasts, which were barely covered by a strapless bodysuit. She wore tights beneath it, with flat shoes to walk in.

Finally, Din came to his senses.

"What the hell are you doing out here? What are you wearing?" His voice spoke, causing Lys to groan in frustration.

Lys rolled her eyes and tried to push past him and move back out onto the street. He stopped her, refusing to let her get away without explaining herself.

She muttered out a slew of curse words, telling him to move out of her way. But there was no way he was letting her past and she was clearly frustrated.

"I'm going to get this information so that we can get the kid back where he belongs. I know you said it was impossible for you to get in there, but I have an idea. I have had experiences in places like this. I can get into the club."

Din stared at her for a few moments before furrowing his brows beneath his helmet and shaking his head slightly.

"No. It's not happening. You're not going in there."

"Oh, as if me telling you no has ever stopped YOU before," Lys said, beginning to feel a little self-conscious. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hold her ground.

"We're not discussing that. We're discussing you."

"Actually, we're not discussing anything. We're shouting at each other. Now I'm going out there whether you want me to or not. If you try and drag me back to the ship, I will scream and tell the whole world out there you were trying to kidnap me, and then go into the club without you. Now. Are you coming or not?" Lys demanded.

Din scanned her up and down and sighed. He was getting plenty tired of losing any and all arguments with her. He didn't say anything but he didn't try to stop her at all. He simply stepped aside and allowed her to pass by without reaching out to stop her.

Lys took one look back before marching back out to the road and continuing on down to the club. It didn't take very long for her to reach the destination, and she knew by the soft clanking of armor behind her that Din was coming with her. She peered back as they arrived at the door only for her to look and see Din had paused a little bit away from the door.

She motioned him forward so that he would enter the building with her. She didn't want to approach the guard outside the club without Din at her side.

"Excuse me," Lys flashed the bouncer a brief smile before turning and giving Din a stern glance, her brows furrowed in a warning. She then turned back to the bouncer and nodded in Din's direction, "This is my bodyguard here. I would like for him to be able to accompany me into the venue, but he will remain at the back as I perform."

The bouncer scanned her, taking in her entire appearance and noting the scandalous clothes that she wore beneath her cloak. He raised an eyebrow before nodding his head into the door, "You can go in, but your man has to stand at the back."

"You hear that, Mando?" She asked, turning and looking at Din. "You stay at the back."

Din just nodded, and Lys could tell he was pissed, but in order to get in the door, he would have to listen to her.

The bouncer stepped aside, allowing the two of them to enter the premises. They walked through a velvety curtain and down a dark hallway, lit only by a few dim lamps. Lys shivered as her bare skin accidentally brushed against the sweat-covered wall as they approached the second curtain that would lead them into the main performance room. 

She peered in, scanning the room. It was also dimly lit, with a handful of stages all around. There were a handful of dancers on the poles and mingling with the nefarious assortment of people in the room. It was definitely a criminal hangout, and somehow Lys was completely unfazed by the potential danger. She stripped her cloak off, tossing it to Din before looking back out.

Din stared at her skin, wanting to reach out to touch it for himself, but he shook himself out of his thoughts. He would need to be on guard if they would be doing this.

"What are you doing?" Din demanded.

"Who is he?" Lys whispered.

Din looked over her shoulder, scanning the room before pointing to an older man with speckled grey and black hair. He was a half-human, half-Twilek, a sort of strange conglomeration of the two alien races.

"Him."

"For once we're following my damn plan, you hear me?" Lys said, pushing the curtain back into place so they were alone in the hallway once more. "I'll get the client into one of the back private performance rooms, and then once we're there, you can come in. But until then, you stay at the back, you hear me?"

"But-"

Lys stopped walking, turning and pointing her finger up at him, her eyes furrowed.

"Din. I know what I'm doing."

Before he could reply, she pushed past the second curtain and into the room confidently, walking straight down the middle aisle.

Din was shocked. When she had mentioned that she had had experience in places like this, he hadn't realized that she had must have been one of the performers. Her hips swayed as she snuck through the crowd, managing to waltz right over to the client, who had a Twilek woman on his lap.

Lys had almost immediately caught the client's gaze as she passed by him, seductively winking in his direction. Din clenched his jaw, hating the way that the others in the room had begun to look at her. But he managed to ground himself and begin to check the room out for potential exits and entrances and other hostiles.

Meanwhile, Lys had made it all the way down to the front of the room and was about to speak with the stage manager, but she was stopped by the client, who had reached out and snatched her arm.

"Hello there, pretty thing," the client spoke, raking his eyes up and down her body.

Lys held his gaze with hers, ignoring the way his gaze made her skin crawl.

"Hi," she lowered her eyes finally and beginning to turn away from him.

It was clear that he wasn't used to people ignoring him, so he reached out and snatched her arm in his, pulling her back around so that he could look at her.

"Don't walk away from me," the man said darkly.

Lys bit back her anger, instead licking her lips and speaking seductively, "Sorry sir, but please don't touch the merchandise before it's been purchased. I've got work to do."

The man seemed stunned but intrigued by her words, letting her arm go. Before he could stop her again, she moved to the stage manager.

"I want the center stage," she said, pointing to the main stage. "And I want on next."

"It's already been scheduled up for the night," he shook his head, pretty much ignoring her.

Lys took a deep breath and pulled out all the credits she had to herself. It was about 10,000 credits. It had taken her over five years to accumulate it. She bit her lip, thinking about how she would now be completely dependent on Din, but she also thought of the child. She would do anything for him. 

Lys took a deep breath and shoved all 10k onto the stage manager's desk.

"I don't think you understand," she said. "I want the center stage. And I want on next."

The stage manager was shocked. He blinked at the number of credits in front of him. He looked over at the handful of girls before back at the credits and up at Lys.

"I- uh," he paused before shaking his head and scooping the credits into his pocket discreetly, "How long do you want it for?"

"I only need 1 song."

The stage manager nodded.

It wasn't long before Lys was behind the curtain. She peered out as she waited for the girl to finish up, and she could faintly see the glint of Din's armor in the back of the room. He was pacing nervously, trying to find her.

He froze when he caught part of her face peering out from behind the stage curtain. Din was stressed and worried about what might happen.

And he got especially nervous when he began to scan the room, seeing how there were nearly a dozen men who seemed to have their gaze trained on the client at all times. He cursed himself for not thoroughly scanning the room. That was a lot of men, and with Lys' non-existent self-protection, she was vulnerable.

But before he could think of a way to get them out of there, the song ended, and the lights dimmed. Lys was going on the stage. The plan was in motion.

The next song began to play, and Lys found herself taking a deep breath, recalling the dancing she had performed for a few years before her capture by Gideon, and she prayed that it would be enough.

She stepped through the curtain, her head high with a type of fake confidence that stunned even herself. She closed her eyes for a second as she reached her hand around and spun around the pole.

The last time she had done something like this she had only been a teenager. She pushed down the bile that rose in her throat and spun one last time before lowering herself against the pole, her eyes gazing across the room and latching onto Din's face.

Even though she was uncomfortable, she knew that with him standing there, she was safe, and she took a deep breath before scanning the crowd and noting that the client had moved closer to the stage, watching her with close eyes.

She stared him down before winking, rotating her head back, and allowing her hand to slide down her chest and stomach. She could only hope that he would take the bait.

And he did.

The moment she was off the stage, he approached her once more.

"Backroom," he instructed. It wasn't a question.

Lys nodded and began to follow him towards the back room.

She allowed herself a glance back, scanning the back wall for Din. But as the curtain was opened for her to enter, she realized he was nowhere to be found.


End file.
